The Women's Rights Movement In The 19th Century

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Women’s Rights is known as a movement that is rich is history yet still impacts the present day. The movement began in the 19th century with women seeking to be treated as equal to men. The Women’s Rights Movement focused on social and institutional barriers that limited women’s rights – family responsibilities, limited educational and economic opportunities, and no voice in political debates. While it is written in history that the movement lasted from 1848 to 1920, much of the Women’s Rights Movement is still applicable today. While women’s rights now include the right to vote, women are still fighting for reproductive rights, the right to work for equal pay, and a greater voice in politics. In 1840, Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton met at World Anti-Slavery Convention in London. Even though they were denied leadership positions in London because they were women, the two women used that denial to develop a coalition for …show more content…

However, even though women can vote, the voice of women in politics is still not equal with that of men. Slowly things are changing, and more women are getting involved in politics. While Jeannette Rankin was the first woman ever to be elected to Congress, which was in 1916, few women followed in her footsteps. Congress consists of mostly males. “Only 20 percent of congressional seats are held by women”. Some states have taken longer to elect a woman to Congress. For example, Cindy Hyde-Smith became the first woman to represent Mississippi in Congress and she was appointed, not elected. “She’s the 23rd woman currently in the Senate and the sixth Republican woman senator in office” . On a higher political level, Hillary Clinton announced her 2016 Presidential Bid in April of 2015. She was fully backed by the Democratic party, and she ran a good race. Even though Trump won the election, the loss was not ever considered to be due to her

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