Helen Keller once said, “Until the great mass of the people shall be filled with the sense of responsibility for each other’s wealth fare, social justice can never be attained.” The way people have been treated in the past affects the way people will be treated in the future. The ability of people to recognize the unfair treatment of others is what sparks social movements that lead to change. During the 19th century in Victorian England, the rights granted to women in society were far from tantamount to their male counterparts. Because of the perseverance of Victorian women during times of gender inequality, a positive outcome prevailed: global movements towards gender parity in society.
From 1837 to 1901, Queen Victoria ruled England in a
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In times before the Victorian era, it was common for women to work alongside men to run farms and contribute to the family businesses. However, when jobs began to move outside the home and men traveled to work every day, the women were left at home with their daughters, expected to run the household (Hughes 1). The failure of the society at the time to recognize the injustice in which this lifestyle served to the women was the root of gender inequality in the Victorian …show more content…
However, global awareness has brought about tremendous change. During the English Industrial Revolution from the mid-1700s to the mid-1800s, women worked in mines, factories, mills, schools, and other assorted domestic institutions in order to have a better financial standard of living. These jobs were dangerous and unsanitary, which led to lives of hardship (Women in World History 1). Because of the calamities women faced during this time, they began to realize that the gender inequalities in society had to be changed. In 1848, the Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York gave way to the National Women’s Suffrage Association. With the boom of women’s movements, an identity of self worth and importance spread throughout the world. World War I and World War II were key events that displayed how important women were in society. It was a time when women were responsible for the home, but also had to be a source of income while the men were fighting. As one could imagine, women felt the stress of going from being told all they could not do to being allowed to do anything they had to do to sustain this lifestyle. Women contributed more in society because, while they always had value in the work they were able to do, they were finally allowed to take action utilize their role. There are still many areas, specifically those in less developed countries, where women’s worth
During America's early history, women were denied some of the rights to well-being by men. For example, married women couldn't own property and had no legal claim to any money that they might earn, and women hadn't the right to vote. They were expected to focus on housework and motherhood, and didn't have to join politics. On the contrary, they didn't have to be interested in them. Then, in order to ratify this amendment they were prompted to a long and hard fight; victory took decades of agitation and protest. Beginning in the 19th century, some generations of women's suffrage supporters lobbied to achieve what a lot of Americans needed: a radical change of the Constitution. The movement for women's rights began to organize after 1848 at the national level. In July of that year, reformers Elizabeth Cady Stanton(1815-1902) and Lucretia Mott (1793-1880), along with Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) and other activists organized the first convention for women's rights at Seneca Falls, New York. More than 300 people, mostly women but also some men, attended it. Then, they raised public awar...
Women faced multiple challenges to establish themselves as equals to men throughout history however, this would have never been possible if not for social progress movements to eliminate gender barriers. Consider the statements of “that is woman’s work” and “that is man’s work”. First, imagine the year is 1920; what vision instantly comes to your mind in what was woman’s work and what was man’s work? Now, fast forward to current day; what instantly comes to mind in consideration of what is woman’s and man’s work? The comparison of the differences of 1920 and 2014 is night and day. Crystal Eastman, a socialist feminist, observed that the 19th Amendment was an important first step but that what women really wanted was freedom and equality. She was campaigning for the equivalence of women in social, political, cultural, and economic status. In the essay titled "Now We Can Begin," she laid out a plan toward this goal that is still relevant today and shared her vision of life that she wanted for herself and women across the nation. (Eastman)
On July 19th 1848, the first Women's Convention was held in Seneca Falls, from which 68 women and 32 men participated, to discuss Women's rights and equality to men. During the convention, was written the “Declaration of Sentiments”, document that approached the issues to be overcome by women, including their rights regards: voting; social equality; intellectual capacity; equal payment and right to occupy high positions. Today, one hundred and sixty six years after this convention was held, what have women really accomplished in terms of acceptance and support from our government and society? Researches show that women are still under paid in comparison to men in same positions; women are still struggling to occupy higher positions within the companies they work; society is still imposing to women the main part on parenthood without attributing shared responsibilities to men; government is still lacking support regards laws involving maternity leave and equal pay.
The industrialization of the nineteenth century was a tremendous social change in which Britain initially took the lead on. This meant for the middle class a new opening for change which has been continuing on for generations. Sex and gender roles have become one of the main focuses for many people in this Victorian period. Sarah Stickney Ellis was a writer who argued that it was the religious duty of women to improve society. Ellis felt domestic duties were not the only duties women should be focusing on and thus wrote a book entitled “The Women of England.” The primary document of Sarah Stickney Ellis’s “The Women of England” examines how a change in attitude is greatly needed for the way women were perceived during the nineteenth century. Today women have the freedom to have an education, and make their own career choice. She discusses a range of topics to help her female readers to cultivate their “highest attributes” as pillars of family life#. While looking at Sarah Stickney Ellis as a writer and by also looking at women of the nineteenth century, we will be able to understand the duties of women throughout this century. Throughout this paper I will discuss the duties which Ellis refers to and why she wanted a great change.
During the early 1800's women were stuck in the Cult of Domesticity. Women had been issued roles as the moral keepers for societies as well as the nonworking house-wives for families. Also, women were considered unequal to their male companions legally and socially. However, women’s efforts during the 1800’s were effective in challenging traditional intellectual, social, economical, and political attitudes about a women’s place in society.
The Repression of Women in Victorian Society as Shown in 19th Century Literature 19th century literature reflects, to a certain extent, several ways in. which women were repressed in Victorian society. They were considered inferior to men, and given a stereotypical image, showing them as gentle, loyal and angelic. They were rejected for any personal opinions. or independence, for these were only a man’s privilege.
The industrial revolution swept through Europe and North America during the 19th century, affecting the class structure, economy, government, and even the religious practices of everyone who lived in or did commerce with these new "industrialized nations." It made the modern age possible, but it was not without its "growing pains." The position of women before the industrial revolution was often equivalent to chattel, and then as now, they were expected to take naturally to housework and child rearing. The history of working women in the Industrial Revolution is rife with accounts of abuse and tragedy, but overall it improved their position in capitalist societies. Below, I will explain the different positions women held in society, the home, and the workplace during the Industrial Revolution in Europe and America, and compare them to history and to contemporary women.
In the Victorian Age, divergent roles and standards for women surfaced in response to the industrial revolution, prompting the controversial proto-feminist ideal of the “New Woman.” In the early stages of the Victorian Age, upper and middle class women were expected to take on the role of the “Angel in the House”; they where to be domestic caretakers of children (as motherhood was the utmost priority) and their homes in service of their husbands (British Library). A woman could not vote or own property; rather, she was the property of her husband and submissive to his will. Furthermore, by Victorian standards, women were to be chaste and sexually reserved towards anyone save for their husbands, making discussions of female sexuality incredibly taboo. Yet with the advent of the industrial revolution in the late nineteenth century, and the subsequent expansion of collegial education to women and increased presence in the industrial workforce, women began to challenge these patriarchal societal norms. A woman who led this non-traditional, independent lifestyle was termed a “New Woman” by her contemporaries. Women who embodied this
Throughout history, women of all classes have often been subordinate to men, adopting positions of companionship and support rather than taking leadership roles. In the 19th century England, a patriarchal society, presumed that “females were naïve, fragile, and emotionally weak creatures who could not exist independently of a husband or a father’s wise guidance.” It was until the Industrial Revolution that lower class women were able to find jobs in factories and become more independent from their households and husbands. Even then, their jobs were harsh and they were often underpaid compared to their male counterparts. Emma Paterson, the leader of the Women’s Trade Union once said, “Not only are women frequently paid half or less than half for doing work as well and as quickly as men, but skilled women whose labour requires delicacy of touch, the result of long training as well as thoughtfulness receive from 11 shillings to 16 or 17 shilling a week, while the roughest unskilled labour of a man is worth at least 18 shillings.” The employers of Industrial Revolution mistreated and abused lower class women to such an extent that middle class women were beginning to become aware of their suffering. Girls were sent to factories at very early ages and many lacked proper education. These events led to middle class women fight for laws protecting women employees and women suffrages. Middle class women led strikes and revolts against employers as they struggled to bring fairness between men and women. These feminists were the first women that fought for women’s rights and were responsible for equality that men and women have today.
During the Victorian era, women had limited opportunities to find work outside of the home and had almost no control of their money or property.
Women have been thought of as housewives who are not supposed to be independent. Women used to be seen as the ones who cook for their husbands and their children, clean the house, make sure the children are taken care of, while they let the men do all of the work. Women can be just as strong and as smart as men, and they can be independent. Women have realized that they could do whatever they want and that they do not need to be dependent on anyone, and that all they need is theirself. All people deserve basic human rights, regardless of sex. A woman is of equal worth to a man, they are not superior, and they are not inferior.The Women's Rights Movement is an important movement in history. This paper will include background information
Have you ever wondered the difference in Men and Women’s roles in the Victorian Era time was? Although women may have had it harder than men, but nothing was fun and games for the men either. They had to go out and work for the money to supply for the wives and children. But the difference in their roles were horribly different, but followed by every Victorian man and women.
The Victorian Britain Era has played a prominent role in its efforts to eliminate double standards, promote equality and progress for women. Women took initiatives to come out of the “cult of domesticity” that had been put in society since the very beginning. Many women felt suppressed in the Victorian society. Men were superior, whereas women were undermined and bounded to restrictions. Women wanted to establish the same rights as men and not be seen as their husband’s “property.” During the Victorian period there were many reforms like the industrialization revolution that helped pave the way for women to go out in the workforce. There are so many factors that contributed women to recognize and enlighten their equivalence to men. Many of
Girls and boys tend to find themselves fitting into where they should be in their family. In the past women were given domestic work that was done for the well-being in their household. This work was done without pay. Men did more physical work, additional leadership roles, and were paid for this physical labor and women didn’t not get the same benefits. This “status quo” defined women’s “place” for any years. Because women were seen beneath men in their homes, this mind set translated into the work place. Although the exact time and instance that cause gender inequality is uncertain, it is believed that this is where gender inequality truly began
There was an inborn sense of subordination of women throughout the Victorian era, and rather significant similarities between housewife and servant. This idea that women were not seen as an equal towards men can be traced back to the Victorian English natural hierarchy. It was their belief that those had to serve and owed much to the people superior to them, i.e. kings to gods, lords to kings, and servant to master, ect. (Davidoff, 408). To be born a woman, was to be under complete control of her husband, much like to be born a slave confined to their masters’ demands and wishes (Davidoff, 408). The difference between wife and slave was Victorian England’s social concepts of servitude. Women moved from paternal control in their private home, into a lifetime of servitude of their husband’s home, therefore; women knew their duties were fo...