Five Innovations That Have Advanced Women’s Rights改善女性权利的五大发明

覃军译

From the internet to the bicycle， here are just a handful of innovations we take for granted today that have shaped the lives of women and girls worldwide.從互联网到自行车，有一些而今看来习以为常的发明，却影响了全球女性的生活。

Hippo Roller

Invention that eased rural womens burden of water collection.

Access to clean water is a human necessity. You need it to drink， clean， cook， bathe and more. Yet， today 2.1 billion people—around 30 per cent of the worlds population—lack access to safe， readily available water at home. Unfortunately， for the millions of women and girls at the heart of the water crisis， especially in rural areas， the burden of fetching water falls disproportionately on them. This means an increased risk of violence in often treacherously1 long journeys to fetch water， and time taken away from other activities， such as income-generating work and school or even leisure and play—all of which prevents women and girls from living a full life. In an attempt to ease the strain and time involved to get water in tough rural conditions， two South Africans in the early 1990s invented the Aqua Roller， now commonly known as the Hippo Roller. A portable barrel-shaped drum container that rolls on the ground， the Hippo Roller can carry up to five times more water than a single bucket. To date， the invention has changed the lives of half a million people across more than 20 countries. While not a permanent solution to the water crisis， it along with other innovative solutions， such as the personal water filter LifeStraw， are noteworthy endeavors improving the lives of women and girls in rural communities.

Bicycle

Invention that gave women greater mobility and independence.

A symbol of “free， untrammeled womanhood” as American womens rights activist Susan B. Anthony so eloquently put it， the bicycle gave women newfound freedom of movement， challenged stereotypes around womens physical strength and transformed dress codes. Coinciding with the first wave of feminism， the invention of the modern bicycle， as we know it today， by an English engineer in the 1880s came about as an alternative to the now impractical penny-farthing2 that consisted of a large front wheel and a much smaller rear wheel. While not necessarily invented for women in mind， the bicycle ironically gave women independence： In some regions of the world at the time， this meant women could move around freely without having to rely on chaperones， carriages or horseback. Of course， it did not come without backlash： Women were warned riding bicycles was “immoral” and doctors even went so far as to say that it could lead to a terrifying medical condition called bicycle face—a special risk to womens appearance and complexion. As wild myths circulated and the bicycle took off in popularity， women did not back down. Victorian women and reformists alike called for more rational clothing and baggier undergarments to ride bikes. And others， such as Annie Londonderry， a Latvian immigrant to the United States， challenged prevailing perceptions of femininity by becoming the first woman to ride around the world in a bicycle from 1894 to 1895. More than a century later， the race for equality still continues.

Internet

Invention that created an open space for women to connect and galvanize.

Similar to the advent of the printer， radio， television and phone， the internet has revolutionized how women and girls live their lives. Whether through websites， social media， instant messaging or email， it has opened up avenues for online activism， community-building， career opportunities and learning， increased awareness and engagement around womens rights issues， and enabled women to set up businesses， political campaigns and more. From MeToo3 to NiUnaMenos4 to TimesUp5， social media movements in particular have exposed gender inequalities and violence against women unlike ever before and put pressure on public and private officials6 to enact change. Like any technology， the internet has its dark side： Offline inequalities， including misogyny7， stalking， hate， harassment and trafficking， have permeated online. Misinformation on womens rights threatens to roll back rights. And， for 49 per cent of the worlds population without access to the internet， the digital gap leaves the poorest and most vulnerable in the dark and without the adequate skills and education needed to survive in todays rapidly evolving tech-enabled economy. Addressing this divide will be critical in the years to come.

Sanitary pad

Invention that improved womens health and participation in society.

What if you had to use wool， moss， animal skin， old rags， newspapers or a sanitary belt for your periods？ If it seems outlandish8， it is—along with the more outlandish myths that women on their periods should be in solitary confinement9， are dirty， can make food rot or even get eaten by sharks while swimming. Yet， it was only more than a century ago that nurses in France created the first disposable sanitary pads， incidentally to control excessive bleeding among male soldiers. By the end of the 19th Century， the first commercially available disposable pads came out， but took several decades before they evolved to become somewhat more practical for women to use and acquire （if you could afford it）. The breakthrough invention improved women and girls hygiene and health， school attendance， livelihoods and economic opportunities. Yet， today， in spite of some efforts， sanitary pads still remain out of reach for millions of women and girls living in poverty and are taxed in several countries around the globe， including as a “luxury” item. Access aside， periods still remain a taboo topic. Stigma10 and discrimination surrounding menstruation prevents women and girls in some countries from entering physical spaces， such as their home， school， work or place of worship. If only there was an invention that could wipe out discrimination against women…

Pants

Invention that broke stereotypes and helped imagine a gender-equal world.

From pink hats to pantsuits， womens clothes have the power to challenge stereotypes， transform notions of gender identity and symbolize resistance and power. And， well， sometimes it just boils down to11 practicality. Try riding a bike in a 15-pound Victorian dress. Pants would make sense， right？ Well， not so much for sticklers12 reinforcing what a womens place should be. In fact， the evolution of pants is a fascinating look into how fashion， feminism and sexism are inextricably linked. Take， for example， the iconic French war heroine Joan of Arc who famously cross-dressed in mens armour， tunics and hoses. When burned at the stake as a heretic by the English in 1431， what was one of the most damaging charges against her？ Wearing mens clothes. Fast forward centuries later， women faced backlash for wearing baggy pants in the 19th Century and arrest for wearing such garments into the turn of the 20th Century. Like much of history， reality dictates fashion and fashion pushes boundaries： World War I and II， for instance， drove women to wear pants as they took on traditionally male jobs. As the world of work changed for millions of women， pioneers such as French designer Coco Chanel rocked the fashion world by laying the foundations for the pantsuit， a two-piece garment that post-war women entering the workforce adopted and today is a power symbol. And， for the millions of women in poverty working the fields or factories today， wearing looser， more traditionally male clothes is not so much a fashion statement but a necessity to be mobile， earn a living and put food on the table.

河马滚桶

减轻农村妇女取水负担。

洁净水源是人类生活的必需品。人们需要饮用纯净水，用它来清洁、做饭、洗澡等。然而，如今仍有21亿人（约占世界人口的30%）家中缺少安全充足的生活用水。不幸的是，对深陷水资源危机中的数百万妇女和女童来说，特别是农村地区的女性，取水的负担过多地落在了她们身上。这就意味着，在往往漫长而危险的取水途中，发生暴力侵害的风险会增加，而参与上班赚钱、上学读书、休闲娱乐等活动的时间则相对减少——这一切成了女性追求美满生活的绊脚石。为了缓解偏僻农村取水的压力，节省取水时间，两名南非人于1990年代初发明了水辊（现通称为“河马滚桶”）。河马滚桶是一种便携式桶状容器，可在地面上滾动，承载水量可达普通水桶的五倍。迄今为止，该项发明已经改变了20多个国家50万人的生活。用河马滚桶解决水资源危机虽不是长久之计，但它和个人滤水器“生命吸管”等其他发明都是值得关注的创新尝试，可以改善农村女性的生活。

自行车

让女性出行更便利，人格更独立。

美国女权活动家苏珊·B.安东尼曾一针见血地指出，自行车是“自由奔放的女性气质”的象征，让女性能够自由出行，挑战了人们对女性体力差的成见，改变了女性的着装要求。现代自行车的出现恰逢女权主义浪潮第一次兴起。如今众所周知，一位英国工程师在1880年代发明了现代自行车，为了取代当时那种不实用的前轮大后轮小得多的自行车。虽然发明自行车最初未必是为了造福女性，但万万没想到，这项发明却让女性更加独立：在当时的某些地区，这意味着女性不必依靠伴侣、马车或骑马就可以自由出行。当然，女性骑车也遭到了强烈反对：妇女遭到警告说她们骑车是“道德败坏的行为”，有医生甚至宣称骑车会让女性患上可怕的“单车脸”，尤其损害女性的容貌和肤色。谣言甚嚣尘上，自行车愈发流行，而女性没有退缩。维多利亚时代的妇女和改革派都呼吁女性身穿更实用的衣服和宽松的内衣以方便骑车。还有一些人挑战了当时人们对女性的普遍观念，比如拉脱维亚裔美国人安妮·伦敦德里在1894到1895年骑车环游世界，成为完成此举的首位女性。一个多世纪后的今天，争取男女平等的斗争仍在继续。

互联网

赋予女性一个开放的空间，相互交流，彼此激励。

正如打印机、广播、电视和电话一样，互联网的出现彻底改变了女性的生活方式。通过网站、社交媒体、即时消息和电子邮件，互联网为妇女提供了新途径，她们可以由此开展线上平权运动、建立社群、获取工作和求学;互联网也提高了人们对妇女维权问题的认识和参与度;同时，互联网还使女性得以经商和从政等。从“MeToo反性骚扰运动”到“NiUnaMenos抗议杀害妇女事件”，再到“TimesUp反性骚扰运动”，特别是在社交媒体上开展的种种运动，前所未有地揭露了性别歧视以及对妇女施暴的行为，并向议员施压，要求他们做出改变。同其他技术一样，互联网也有缺点：现实生活中的歧视现象，包括厌女、跟踪、仇恨、骚扰、贩卖人口等，已经在网上蔓延开来。有关妇女权利的虚假信息则有可能削减女性权利。而且，全球有49%的人口无法上网，这种信息鸿沟让最贫穷、最脆弱的人深陷黑暗，缺乏足够的技能和教育，无法在当今快速发展的科技驱动型经济社会中生存下去。未来几年，消除这一鸿沟将至关重要。

卫生巾

改善妇女健康状况，提高妇女社会参与度。

如果月经期间不得不使用羊毛、苔藓、动物皮、旧破布、报纸或卫生带，你会是什么感受？这听起来似乎很奇怪，确实是——还有一些更奇怪的，比如女性在经期应该被单独监禁，身体肮脏，会导致食物腐烂，甚至游泳时会被鲨魚吃掉。其实，一次性卫生巾问世才一百多年，是法国护士在为男性士兵伤口止血时受到启发而发明的。19世纪末，卫生巾作为商品首次进入市场，但数十年后，卫生巾才变得方便实用，购买便捷（当然是在买得起的情况下）。对女性而言，这项突破性发明改善了她们的卫生健康状况，提高了就学率，改善了生活，提供了更多就业机会。然而，尽管人们付出了一些努力，数百万生活在贫困中的女性如今还是用不上卫生巾，而在某些国家，卫生巾还被征税，甚至被当作“奢侈品”。除了卫生巾的使用，月经仍然是一个禁忌话题。人们对月经的耻辱感和歧视使得一些国家的女性无法抛头露面，比如在家里、学校里、工作地或礼拜场所。要是有一项发明能消除对妇女的歧视该多好……

裤子

打破对女性的刻板印象，帮助构想一个性别平等的世界。

从粉色帽子到长裤套装，女性服装的变化可以改变人们的成见，转变性别认同观念，象征抵抗和权力。当然，有时候人们考虑的只是服装的实用性。让你穿着15磅重的维多利亚式裙服骑车，你就知道裤子的好处了！不过，对于那些认为妇女不应该抛头露面的顽固派来说，裤子的意义就没那么明显了。事实上，从裤子的演变中，我们可以看到时尚、女权主义和性别歧视之间是何等的密不可分。比如，法国著名的民族女英雄圣女贞德就曾穿着男式的盔甲、束腰外套和长统袜作战。1431年被英国人作为异教徒烧死在火刑柱上时，她被控犯下的最严重的罪名是什么？其中之一就是身穿男装。即使到了19世纪，女性仍会因为身着宽松的裤子而遭到强烈反对;20世纪初，她们甚至会因此而遭到逮捕。从历史来看，现实决定时尚，时尚突破界限：比如，两次世界大战时，女性在从事传统的男性工作时不得不身穿裤子。随着数百万女性工作环境的变化，法国设计师可可·香奈儿等先锋奠定了衣裤套装的基础，轰动了时尚界。衣裤套装是一种两件套的服装，备受战后进入职场的女性的青睐，今天已成为一种权力象征。对于如今在农田劳作或在工厂上班的数百万贫困妇女来说，身穿更宽松、更传统的男性服装则并非宣扬时尚，而是必须如此以便行动利落、赚钱糊口。□

（译者单位：湖北民族大学）