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Feminism over the past 100 years
Womens rights 1900
Womens rights 1900
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From the past to present, Women’s rights movement has already been improving and changing. From the 1800’s to the current year of 2014, Women’s groups and programs have always tried to improve on Women’s equal rights, making themselves even with that of men and trying to become leaders in their work environments, political roles and/or any other leadership roles. I will discuss in order, the 19th century and what roles that women played in this time. When did the actual Women’s Movement begin and what happened in its early stages. How Women and what females did during World War II. What transpired and happened during the Cold War time period. Finally, what is the difference in women’s role today in the 2000’s vs. the early era of Women’s Rights.
I. 19th Century – Roles, Jobs
During the 19th century Women’s roles were different of that of men. Their jobs were not alike, their opportunities were not as great but rather limited. In the early 19th century, Women were not permitted to vote or hold a political office title. She could not take custody of their own children in the event of a divorce. There were only a handful of colleges that would accept women to be educated in them. In many views women with in the early 19th century were viewed as second class citizens.
II. Movement begins (1900’s) Strikes, Campaigns, Voting
The real Women’s Rights movement begins in the 1900’s. Many important actions on the behalf of women’s rights happened during this time period. In 1920 the 19th Amendment to the constitution was approved and added. This amendment gave the women the right to vote. It states that regardless of sex, being all US citizens have the right to vote. This Amendment was led by and wrote up and constructed by Elizabet...
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...ng was equal for the first time in History.
V. Another Movement Starts (Present – Future)
Though many years have passed since the first year of what was called the beginning of Women’s rights movement. Today there is still improvement to make in reference to Women’s rights. Another movement is still on its way of creating equality throughout the USA and world for women to be equal. Just recently in 2009, President Obama passed an act called “Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act” which allows victims of pay discrimination. This entitles women to submit a form to the government when they feel or know that they are making less in pay than that of a male in the same job role. We will continue to improve on Women’s Rights over the coming years and future. Nothing is never perfect, but every year we are getting closer to perfection of Women’s Rights.
I have read Kathryn Kish Sklar book, brief History with documents of "Women's Rights Emerges within the Antislavery Movement, 1830-1870" with great interest and I have learned a lot. I share her fascination with the contours of nineteenth century women's rights movements, and their search for meaningful lessons we can draw from the past about American political culture today. I find their categories of so compelling, that when reading them, I frequently lost focus about women's rights movements history and became absorbed in their accounts of civic life.
The 19th Amendment recognized the right of women to participate in politics equally like men. Well, do you know when it was ratified? It was on August 8th, 1920, which is really recent. After more than seventy years of relentless work, women finally won the struggle. The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prevents the United States federal government and the states from denying the right of citizens to vote on the basis of their sex. In other words, it guarantees the right to vote for all Americans including blacks and women. This amendment resulted in some impacts on American society. It also resulted in a significant change in American politics.
In previous times, the equality between men and women were at dramatic differences. It is frequently believed that women’s suffrage was desired and fought for only in England and the United States during the 19th century. Though these movement changes in their reasons and tactics, the battle of female suffrage, along with other women’s rights concerns, cut through many national boundaries. Women’s rights and suffrage had changed drastically from the 1890 till the time of Nixon’s Administration. During these time markers women had been treated poorly, they felt as if they weren’t equal to the other citizens of the world, especially the men. There are countless activities involving women, but the most spoke about topics is, women’s rights, their suffrage, and the roles they played.
Before the Women’s Rights Movement women were viewed less than men in every aspect. Pre- Civil War women were viewed as the source of life but viewed less than men intellectually . In the 19th century the ideal women was submissive, her job was to be an obedient, loving wife . There were two important thing that ruled the way that women were treated. One of these was the most important out of the two during this time period this was the Cult of Domesticity, which basically said that women were supposed to do all of the domestic work in a household 3.
Women had not only been denied the voting rights and the lack of education before the nineteenth century, they had also been restricted the right to own property. Women who were married were basically owned by their husbands, up until the mid nineteenth century, so they had no regulations with money or their property (Hermes 1). If you were unmarried, however, you were allowed to be owner of property, but when they married the women became property of the man (Talbott 1). As stated previously before, women who were not married were allowed to vote as well as hold property, but a small amount of women did. Marriage was a disadvantage for the women, because they lost most of the rights they had previously. They were not allowed to buy or sell property (Erickson 1).
The fight for women’s rights began long before the Civil War, but the most prominent issue began after the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments joined the Constitution. The rights to all “citizens” of the United States identified all true “citizens” as men and therefore incited a revolution in civil rights for women (“The Fight for Women’s Suffrage”). The National Women’s Suffrage Convention of 1868
Whereas the women’s suffrage movements focused mainly on overturning legal obstacles to equality, the feminist movements successfully addressed a broad range of other feminist issues. The first dealt primarily with voting rights and the latter dealt with inequalities such as equal pay and reproductive rights. Both movements made vast gains to the social and legal status of women. One reached its goals while the other continues to fight for women’s rights.
This movement which was inspired by the ideologies of courageous women and fueled by their enthusiasm and sacrifice is often unacknowledged by most historians in the chronicles of American History. Today the movement is often misunderstood as a passive, white upper class, naive cause. But a deeper study would reveal that the women’s suffrage movement was the one that brought together the best and brightest women in America, which not only changed the lives of half the citizens of United States but also changed the social attitudes of millions of Americans.
The 19th amendment states that the United States Constitution prohibits any United States citizen from being denied the right to vote on the basis of sex. The 19th Amendment was a significant turning point for many women in America. It gave women freedom that they didn’t have before. Before this amendment was passed, many women had no self portrayal, something they couldn’t reach with a male figure ruling next to them. That was until 1920, when the 19th amendment was passed.
Most traditional societies and until recent times, women generally were at a disadvantage. Their education sometimes was limited to domestic skills (“Women’s rights” n.p.). After, there was revolutions, and working women in the former soviet union intended to hold low paying jobs. They were also represented in party and government councils (“Women’s rights” n.p.). The late 1960s and early 70s active feminists organized numerous women’s rights group (“Women’s rights”n.p.). Women encountered discrimination in many forms. In 1960 equal opportunities were given to women (“Women’s rights” n.p.). During the women’s movement certain social institutions and traditional values, were questioned (“Women’s rights” n.p.). Else where in the world the women’s rights movement has also made progress in achieving its goals. In nearly every nation, women have the right to vote and hold public office (“Women’s rights” n.p.). Women’s rights movement made progress in achieving goals in nearly every nation after that (“Women’s rights” n.p.). Major unsponsored conferences on women were held in 1975, 1980, 1985, and 1995 (“Women’s rights” n.p.).
faced, women ultimately gain their rights through The Woman’s Right Movement or The Woman Suffrage Movement
The entire Women’s Movement in the United States has been quite extensive. It can be traced back to 1848, when the first women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York. After two days of discussions, 100 men and women signed the Declaration of Sentiments. Drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, this document called for equal treatment of women and men under the law and voting rights for women. This gathering set the agenda for the rest of the Women’s Movement long ago (Imbornoni). Over the next 100 years, many women played a part in supporting equal treatment for women, most notably leading to the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which allowed women the right to vote.
During the events of the cold war, the roles of family members were determined by society. This created a uniform system for everyone to follow. Women specifically were put into very rigid roles in the house. Gender roles were seen in everyday life as it had been many years before. Although women had just recently gained new liberties with suffrage movements and the 19th amendment, they were reverted to overseeing maintenance of both the house and family.
For hundreds of years women have been fighting for equality and the same rights as
Beginning in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, women began to vocalize their opinions and desires for the right to vote. The Women’s Suffrage movement paved the way for the nineteenth Amendment in the United States Constitution that allowed women to have that right. The Women’s Suffrage movement started a movement for equal rights for women that has continued to propel equal opportunities for women throughout the country. The Women’s Liberation Movement has sparked better opportunities, demanded respect and pioneered the path for women entering the workforce that was started by the right to vote and given momentum in the late 1950s. The focus of The Women’s Liberation Movement was idealized off The Civil Rights Movement; it was founded on the elimination of discriminatory practices and sexist attitudes (Freeman, 1995).