Feminism in Today’s Society 12th Government Faith Turner December 5, 2014 There are many definitions of feminism. But the correct definition would be… the advocacy of women’s right on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. (Merriam-Webster, 2003) Feminism arose from the social upheaval of the 60’s and 70’s which championed human rights and freedom. The Feminism Movement in the 60’s and 70’s called for four main goals: rethinking society with a feminist theory, reproduction rights on demand, equality in the legislation, and rethinking women’s roles in the household. Ginia Bellafante spoke in Time Magazine, “if the women’s movement were still useful, it would have something useful to say; it’s dead because it has won” (Bellafante) Progress since the 60’s and 70’s is visible, but statistics verify that women have a long way to go.
Women were viewed as men’s property so they had to do whatever the husband wanted them to do. Also they did the entire domestic work and look after the children. These views affected their lives as they couldn’t do many things like sue their husband for adultery, for beating them and if they tried to run away they’d be captured by the police and bought back to the husband. The women had to look after children and the domestic work which people then thought that this was all they were good for so they didn’t give them a good education or a well paying job. Finally the men didn’t think much of women for doing things that they could.
Harvard professor, Emma Lapsansky-Wener, stated that the right for women to vote would give citizens a stronger faith in the government, that only then they will be ensured protection throughout their lives. It wasn’t until 1890’s when women started to get that right (111). This was a huge mark in history because women finally had a say in government. Conflict in this situation arose because there was yet again unfair discrimination. Women should have the same right as men because they are also capable.
A Vindication of the Rights of Women Essay A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft is one of the earliest works of feminist ideals. In the text, Wollstonecraft deeply responds and criticizes many influential political theoreticians from the 18th century who did not believe that women should have the same basic rights as men. Her arguments vary from how women should contribute to society to how women should be treated in a relationship. All of her viewpoints not only played a crucial role in the feminist movement of her time, but also helped pave the way for modern feminist movements. One of the main points that Wollstonecraft touches upon in A Vindication of the Rights of Women is the issue regarding women and education.
IAH 201: U.S. & The World (D) The Women’s Rights Movement Starting In the early 1800s women began to question their general role in society and how it is unjust and unfair. Interestingly the educated radicals and working class women in early 1800s were still concerned with the roles and rights of women, they did not classify suffrage as being the prominent issue. The idea of women’s suffrage did not become the primary goal of the Women’s rights movement until around the 1850s, and then remained the primary goal up until 1920 when women finally achieved the right to vote. Further, there were many significant male and female figuresthat played crucial roles in the Women’s rights movements that eventually led to, but didn’t stop at, the achievement of women’s right to vote in 1920. It was in the early 1800s when women began to question various issues such as their roles in society and their rights as a woman, or their lack of rights and unjust inequality in comparison to males.
Women colleges C. Coeducation Conclusion The Fight for Women’s Rights Throughout history women have been hidden behind their husbands. They were not able to have a say in the household, hold a job with reasonable hours, or be able to earn reasonable pay. Many women would not speak up for themselves. Men took pleasure in their control over them. Elizabeth Cady Stanton fought for women to have legal rights, have better jobs, and higher education, even though many men shunned her.
Though women have scaled the ladder of success in the past century, they still fall several rungs short from where men have always been. Although women in the Western world face less oppression than women in many Eastern countries, Western society must recognize that feminism still holds relevance in modern society. The backlash towards modern day feminism proves not only that it is relevant in society but that we still continue to need feminism. The main proponents of this backlash argue that feminism has run its course and live under the phrase “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” There is overwhelming evidence that the system IS broken (despite women’s numerable achievements) and full equality has not been reached. We look back on the days when patriarchy was so blatant with indulgence towards people’s blindness; however, we remain just as blind to many modern-day inequities.
In the 19th century, many states passed the married women's separate property acts, giving women legal rights to retain ownership and control property they brought into marriage (Feminist Jurisprudence). The second wave of feminism is what current feminism thrives off of. The second wave was know as Women’s Liberation Movement.This wave unfolded with the anti-war and civil rights movements with a variety of minority groups around the world. In this phase sexuality and reproductive rights were a big issue and most of the concern was around passing the equal rights amendment to the constitution guaranteeing social equality regardless of sex. The phase began with the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City in 1969.
I had to go through life not having a father because he would rather live for him instead of me and be selfish. It wasn’t fair to me. As a nineteen year old strong young lady I have come to the conclusion that my father isn’t the best and he has never been a good father because of his lack of father skills. There’s multiple situations I can recall showing that my father didn’t do a well job at being my father. For example, one weekend my father and I spoke and we decided to spend time together and go visit my mother.
Since the husband’s role is to go out and provide a living for his family, the wives job is to look after the home. It may not be considered a public work, but her position within the home is still very vital and important. Her role is a non income producing activity, but ensures the success of the family. Another role for a Christian wife is the raising of her children. Titus 2: 3-5 states that, "Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored," (The Christian Woman", 2004).