Fazal Ihsan Pattathil. Mrs. Ramsey. English I. 05 May 2017.

The feminist movement began in the 1960s, as women’s groups searched for equality in the workplace. The movement resulted in the increased participation of women in the paid workforce, and

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.

Women have been active since the beginning of the early 1800’s and struggle until today’s day, to fight for equality. There were two women movement waves. The first wave was focused on the equality of the women by working on voting rights. The second wave from 1963 to 1982 concentrated on social issues. As in “Collective Action for Social Change”, Aaron Schutz and Marie Sandy stated in their book “women were tired of being second class citizens”. The civil rights movement spillover inspired women to create social movements by acting and building organizations focused on the issues that affected the women. The social issues were child care, domestic violence, contraception, and women’s health. One of the major topics that the feminists focused on was domestic violence that still exists in today’s day worldwide.

Women’s rights have evolved over time; beginning with being homemakers and evolving to obtaining professions, acquiring an education, and gaining the right to vote. The movement that created all these revolutionary changes was called the feminist movement. The feminist movement occurred in the twentieth century. Many people are not aware of the purpose of the feminist movement. The movement was political and social and it sought to set up equality for women. Women’s groups in the United States worked together to win women’s suffrage and later to create and support the Equal Rights Amendment. The economic boom between 1917 and the early 1960s brought many American women into the workplace. As women began to join

The Women's Rights Movement was a significant crusade for women that began in the late nineteenth century and flourished throughout Europe and the United States for the rest of the twentieth century. Advocates for women's rights initiated this movement as they yearned for equality and equal participation and representation in society. Throughout all of history, the jobs of women ranged from housewives to factory workers, yet oppression by society, particularly men, accompanied them in their everyday lives. Not until the end of the nineteenth century did women begin to voice their frustrations about the inequalities among men and women, and these new proclamations would be the basis for a society with opportunities starting to open for

Throughout time women and their rights have varied among where they are living and the people that surround them. Some of the major changes with women’s rights is giving them the right to vote, reproductive rights, and the right to work for equal pay. Another thing that varies throughout time is women’s roles. For example 100 years ago the only jobs that women could have was to either be a housewife, nurse, or a teacher. Until about 1910, women didn’t really fight for their rights and what they could do. In 1910, women started to voice their opinions in society and fought for the right to vote. Though things have changed greatly today, there are still women in the world that believe in the “traditional way” and prefer to still wait on

Today, the feminist movement has grown and is still growing as women around the globe have joined hands in the fight against inequality. Even though a lot has changed, all feminists, despite

The period 1940-1975 represented a time of trouble within the United States and overseas. As World War II ended in 1945, many Cold war conflicts erupted shortly after that, increasing social controversy among teenagers, minorities and especially women. During this time period, gender inequality was ongoing in many aspects of life. Women were tired of constantly staying home engaging in domestic activities and were dissatisfied in their roles as “housewives”. The rise of the women’s rights movement was spurred by the growth of women joining the workforce, resentment of being treated as inferior to men, and the rise of unity among women.

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

Women have historically had a rocky relationship with governmental, cultural, religious, and social rights. The Women’s Rights movement has been in effect since approximately 1792, with the publication of the first feminist work, “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, by British writer Mary Wollstonecraft” (“Women’s Rights Movement”). While social changes have occurred and more progressive laws have been put into place throughout the years, there is still not equality between the sexes. Additionally, gender roles in different countries differ greatly. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the major causes and concerns of the Women’s Rights movements throughout the decades, as well as denote the differences between more progressive societies and their less accepting counterparts.

Women were expected to marry at very early ages, usually between 17 and 20 and they were still to slave at home for their husbands and children. Women previously had fought for higher education, but suddenly they were going to college to meet a husband, or they were not going to college at all, as they feared higher education would make marriage more difficult (Friedan, 1963). Women were gladly conforming to these expectations as they all aimed to have four or five kids, live in a suburban neighborhood where they could kiss their husband goodbye as they left for work and they could cook and clean while their children were at school. Many women even turned down job opportunities and claimed it was because all they ever wanted was to be a housewife (Friedan, 1963). However, women slowly began to realize their conformity was not what they wanted for themselves at all. In the 1960’s, many housewives reported that they had felt there was no point in their day to day routines, they had felt depressed in their own homes without a clue why, and getting so angry with their children it scared them. These women were afraid to admit that they wanted more for themselves besides their husband and children (Friedan, 1963). However, women were able to fight this expectation through the sexual liberation movement. The women were empowered by this movement because it gave them more freedom to do what they wanted to

Women don’t get the same benefits or treatment like men do, women were considered not relevant in the workplace or anything pertaining to political aspects to make a change in the 1940s. The moral fact was men were very arrogant and ignorant they never took the time to acknowledge women pertaining to their needs and how women truly felt to be overshadowed by men. Feminists advocate for women rights and equality of the sexes. “Their only dream was to be perfect wives and mothers; their highest ambition to have five children and a beautiful house, their only fight to get and keep their husbands.”When Betty Friedan wrote “The Feminine Mystique.” She explained how there was an idealized image of what women were supposed to be. Friedan ensured that women in the 1960s got a meaningful message, which change the mindsets of a lot of women who were the traditional housewives. The mindsets of women drastically changed, women became more determined to get an education and to be involved in men only jobs such as labor intensive

Females deserve equal rights just like men had. Feminist started realizing this and even made an Organization, to protest for equal rights.The group, National Organization, protested at the Miss America contest in Atlantic City, saying and arguing that the pageant was sexist (Walsh). Soon after this group protested, they started to see what the basic goals of these sixties feminists were. Americans saw these feminists wanted equal pay for equal work, an end to domestic violence, to reduce severe limits on women in managerial jobs, an end to sexual harassment, and sharing for responsibility for housework and taking care of the children (Walsh). Unmarried and even married women in this era could not have a credit card. The bank would not allow to issue a credit card, her husband was required to co-sign, or have rights over the credit card (McLaughlin). After a while you could see changes occurring. The feminist trends of the 60’s took hold. You could tell it changed the relationships between the genders (Walsh). The jobs women could get were getting more and more of a bigger selection. Most young women at least in the middle class, expected to have access to the same careers and to receive the same respect as men

Late 1906s and early 70s was the next wave in the feminist movement. Taking social views and gender roles head on. The role of women was being redefined within America. After en forcing women to be domestic, the stigma of a woman in the workplace was being pushed. During the 1960s, women were determined to seek equal opportunities, in pay and work within society. Women began to speak out and be respected as they challenged traditions. Finally in the 1980s, the biggest battles were won. Women were accepted into colleges and in the workplace, all of which were reflected in media.

"A woman should be barefoot, pregnant and chained to a stove," stated Ben Glantz, a high school senior. Drew Pershing, another senior, also shared a joke, "What does a woman do after she leaves a battered shelter? The dishes...if she knows what's good for her!" Daily jokes and comments such as these, no matter how harmless, are detrimental to the status of women and a dangerous undermining of their accomplishments. Shared by both genders, sexually discriminative comments are widely accepted in society as normal and harmless. "I didn't mean anything by that; I was just kidding," whimpered Ben Glantz after receiving several cold stares from young women who overheard his bashing, sexist comment.