Do We Still Need Feminism Today

Everyone can agree that sexism had its talons deep in the flesh of the American mindset during the 1800's and although this is an obvious fact, few people understand just how hostile an environment it was for a woman. Among those few, were the women living in this malicious medium. From corsets to kitchens, housekeeping to health, life was not easy for even the most well-to-do woman. Although not all women decried their situation, a strong-minded minority dropped their oven mits, put their fists in the air, and called out for a change. Equal opportunity, equal right to vote, equal pay, and all around equality is what they demanded. But feminism was not only found at suffrage rallys or Grange meetings, it made its way in to every medium,

From reading the summary on “Why We Still Need Feminism”, the writer used the guidelines for writing summaries but missed a few key components. The writer cited the author and title of the text but rarely used any direct quotes or paraphrasing. The summary was more objective but the writer did put their personal opinion in some areas of the summary but overall, the writer conveyed what the author was trying to express in a very factual way. The writer does use author tags throughout the summary, for example, by saying “Cavanaugh asserts” or “Casey Cavanaugh argues”. It is very clear in the summary that the writer is giving the author the credit deserved. My interpretation of the summary was interested. I was very keen to read how the writer

Each person, man or woman has a right to their own body. A woman has a right to dictate what happens to her own body and the right of self-preservation. Judith Jarvis Thomson stated that “Some [anti-abortionists] won’t even make an exception for a case in which continuation of the pregnancy is likely to shorten the mother’s life; they regard abortion as impermissible even to save the mother’s life” (Thomson, 2013, p. 298). These anti-abortionists renounce abortion even if it threatens the life of the woman, they see more value in the fetus than the woman.

Pro-choice women believe in their rights from the Constitution to help defend them, however. The Constitution protects the women's privacy. The First Amendment, Fourth Amendment, and Ninth Amendment all give broad, unmentioned privacy on abortions. Since unmentioned, the women have protection and can control their own bodies (Chinn, …). They give an extension to privacy in marriage and procreation/contraception. Pregnancy may also have a toll on some women. Maternity may cause a poor life for the women in many ways. Mental and physical health may be damaged with having to care for a baby. Exhaustion can affect mental or physical health and take away the control women feel. Women need to be able to care for themselves and care for the tolls that pregnancy may cause. Other women have trouble financially supporting a lifestyle with a baby involved. They do not want to bring a baby into the world suffering because women cannot afford one. The states should not force a baby when women cannot care for it financially. Emotional health is also fragile when pregnant and feeling burdened with a baby. Babies require much care and some women cannot afford to give it. Some women have trouble caring for themselves and fell they shouldn’t care for a baby if they are not ready. These women feel that just because they’re having sex does not mean they are allowing pregnancy. Many couples precautions to prevent pregnancy, like condoms or

Looking back with a historical lens, it’s evident that the fight for women’s rights has progressed in a step wise process. The nineteenth amendment opened a new door of opportunities for women to take advantage of. In modern times, the continued push for equal rights is evident through the fight for reproductive rights and equal pay. Even with the right to vote, women are still being under represented and out of control when it comes to their reproductive rights and in the workplace. Opposing beliefs regarding feminism have prevented the progression of more gender equality in the United States. What originally started as a plea for a political voice helped to shape the history of the nation. Women’s suffrage paved the way for countless groups and further feminist

While the history component is important in understanding the future of abortion in the United States, an examination of the varying ideological arguments is paramount as well.

The Merriam-Webster definition of feminism is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” In the past century, gender roles have been challenged because of feminism. The very idea has completely flipped households, workplaces, and the general community and changed it for the better. A plethora of women’s movements were initiated in the 1960’s, and it gave people a look at how powerful women are when we stand united. Feminism has gained many followers in the past thirty to forty years as more people are becoming aware of conflicts pertaining to discrimination. However, there are many that were hesitant both in the 1960’s and in the present day, but for very different reasons. Nevertheless, persistence seems to be a beacon in women’s rights movements, thanks to very strong and level-headed role models.

Once upon a time in a world dominated by men, women had been forced to comply with society 's blinding notion that they were pieces of property meant to play the domesticated role of a dutiful housewife. This was true up until the late 1840s when women began to realize their worth was so much more than a floor-moping, dinner-making, stain-bleaching slave to six children and an ungrateful husband. That may sound rash and some situations may have been different, but before the civil war these women did not have the opportunities to be properly educated like men. Courageously strong women, over time, from the early 1800s up until the 1920s and counting, such as Elizabeth Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem have all become recognized for their dedication and persistence in bringing about changes in defending the rights of women and suppressing the bias against gender equality thus paving the road of feminism. However, even in today’s world anti-feministic backlashes are still occurring in the sense of politics, workplace, and society.

One might claim that feminism is not needed, men and women are equal all around the world. But, that’s not the case. Yes, I won’t deny, we have made progress in making equal stronger between men and women. More and more women around the world are being able to vote and run for office, but many still aren’t able to vote at all. There are still major issues that women are facing. I will inform you of these issues later, but these issues create great obstacles in the lives of these women. They need feminism to allow themselves to get over these obstacles, and there is no denying it. Another might say: “They

Abortion rights are one of the most heatedly debates in society. There are many arguments for and against abortion. Each woman has the right to an abortion and the right to have a child. Women have the resources, rights, and respect to make reproductive health decisions that are best for themselves. (“Women’s”) We live in a free country and women should continue to have the choice to do whatever with their body, concerning women’s rights, health issues, and religious reasons.

Rebecca West once said, “I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat.” This definition of feminism encapsulates the ideals of the feminist movement in America today. Women in America face inequality and stigma across varying social and economic domains. Social norms and stringent expectations limit the freedoms of women in America and force them to conform to expectations that have proven to be detrimental to their health. Thus, many women and men see feminism as an important tool to promote equality between all genders in America, where feminism remains a very important movement.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a powerful leader in the modern day feminist movement, once said in a speech presented at TEDxEuston, We Should All Be Feminists, “Some people ask: ‘Why the word feminist? Why not just say you are a believer in human rights, or something like that?’ Because that would be dishonest. Feminism is, of course, part of human rights in general—but to choose to use the vague expression human rights is to deny the specific and the particular problem of gender. It would be a way of pretending that it was not women who have, for centuries, been excluded. It would be a way of denying that the problem of gender targets women.” The actions of the F1 generation of feminist women who sparked the women's rights movement set an outline

“I need feminism because we need more sexy blond female CEOs but not more female miners and other jobs in those kinds of fields. They are not glamorous enough. Women should not have to get on their knees and work hard unless they want to get backstage at a weekend concert.” Man-hating femi-nazis are plaguing the world with their rants about “misogyny” and flashing their naked bodies to men and expecting not to get objectified. This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a breast. Modern-day feminism is often regarded as something that is no longer needed, because women of the 21st century have the same rights as every other person. But sadly, that is not true. Women and men in America in the 21st century are not treated as equals in social, economic, or political aspects of society, ergo feminism—the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities, is still a necessity in the modern society of America. The true intention of feminism is NOT to degrade men and preach that women are high and mighty and deserved to be treated better, but rather that all sexes be treated the same way in all aspects of life.

Unquestionably, feminism will be seen by historians as one of the strongest social movements of the twentieth century. Ideas that the rights of women should be included among the rights of all people existed as a coherent set since the late 1860s and culminated in women’s right to vote in the early twentieth century (Stromquist, 2009).

In 1776, the then First Lady of the United States was the first to raise her about women’s rights, telling her husband to “remember the ladies” in his drafting of new laws, yet it took more than 100 years for men like John Adams to actually do so. With the help of half a dozen determined, and in this case white upper-middle-class, women the first-wave feminism, which spans from the 19th century to the early 20th century, finally led to their goal after 72 years of protesting. The Nineteenth Amendment, which secured the rights for women to vote finally passed in 1920. This grand victory brought other reforms along, including reforms in the educational system,