The Fight For Women 's Rights

For centuries women, in many cultures women have been fighting for their rights and women equality, politically, socially and for their own personal reasons. As women have been fighting for equality, politically, socially and personally, they had no importance in these platforms in Greece. Athenian woman had very view rights and were controlled by a male relative. Even though ancient Athens was in a state of democracy, women were powerless to vote, and do any political activity. It was disgraceful for a woman to be brave and express a role of men. This essay will go more in depth about Athenian women and how they were treated.

Over a hundred years ago, one event created chaos among gender roles and here are some of the initial factors of how rights for women started as a predicament which later began to evolve into a much larger problem that involved many people around the nations. Over the course of history, many issues had change the world to what it has become today. Many problems led to social, economic, and other changes. One small event is able to cause more obstacles, which eventually leads to larger complications. Even though society had tried to resolve these issues, they still encountered many hardships that were disruptive to their own perspectives as also for other people within the community. Thus, this was an important issue because it had changed

With the advancement of suffrage to equal pay, over the last century, women’s rights have progressed immensely. Through historic marches and demonstrations across the United States, women protested for their equal place in politics and social progress. Despite the fear-mongering components used in achieving these rights, women’s rights are still thoroughly debated within society today. Over the last century, incredible and unreachable goals have been fulfilled for women, such as the right to vote and a sense of equal state in the “Free World,” and can only improve in the years to come.

Throughout the ancient world women possessed few rights and privileges. A woman’s freedom varied depending on where she was born, in this case Athens and Sparta. But it can be said that most women were second-class citizens during this time period. Most women had limited social roles, little education, and no involvement in politics. Power and freedom was something that only existed in a man’s world, while women were expected to be submissive, docile, bear children, and take care of the household. Surviving records from ancient Greece show that women’s roles did not differ much from city-state to city-state but there were exceptions that include noble women and most notably, Spartan women. Some civilizations treated women with respect

“Remember the ladies,” wrote boldly by the soon to be First Lady Abigail Adams to her husband John Adams in March 1776. Abigail Adams’s words were one of the first noted mentions in the United States foreshadowing the beginning of an extensive suppressed battle towards women’s suffrage. The fight for women suffrage was a movement in which women, and some men included, pleaded for equal rights regarding voting and women’s voice within the political realm. Women’s suffrage was not a matter of instant success; it endured a prolonged time to achieve. It was not until August 1920, about 14 decades subsequent after Abigail Adam’s words that the 19th amendment which had provided everyone the right to vote regardless of a person’s “sex”, had passed. Although the 19th amendment nationalized equal voting rights throughout the country in 1920, many states ratified this amendment in even later years. The lengthy period and long complex battles towards victory were the result of many obstacles between suffragists and anti-suffragists; obstacles which hindered the movement’s progress and which are not limited to: traditionally accustomed values, religion, split arguments within the movement, and other national political setbacks. If these setbacks were handled differently in a more urgent manner, women suffrage might have achieved earlier than 1920 or in a shorter amount of a gruesome activism period.

The Women’s Suffrage Movement of the 1920’s worked to grant women the right to vote nationally, thereby allowing women more political equality. Due to many industrial and social changes during the early 19th century, many women were involved in social advocacy efforts, which eventually led them to advocate for their own right to vote and take part in government agencies. Women have been an integral part of society, working to help those in need, which then fueled a desire to advocate for their own social and political equality. While many women worked tirelessly for the vote, many obstacles, factions, and ultimately time would pass in order for women to see the vote on the national level. The 19th Amendment, providing women the right to vote, enable women further their pursuit for full inclusion in the working of American society.

As a woman, I am grateful to all the strong female activists that have paved the way that has allowed all United States female citizen’s the rights we have today.

Imagine being a woman in an ancient society. A society where are considered weak and vulnerable, females aren’t allowed to work outside of the house, have no education, and continuously get disrespected by men. This was the reality for all women in Greece no matter their social class. Ideas like feminism, or equality amongst all genders were not heard of. It goes to show that when in Ancient Greece, men had more power within the government, inside the household, and in society compared to women.

Women in classical Athens could not have had an extremely enjoyable experience, if we rely on literary sources concerning the roles of women within the Greek polis. The so-called Athenian democracy only benefited a fraction of the entire population. At least half of this population was female, yet women seem to have had very little influence and few official civic rights. `The position of women...is a subject which has provoked much controversy.'

Throughout history, battles and wars have been fought to gain some type of rights or freedoms. In 1775, the American Revolutionary War was fought for independence; In 1865, the American Civil War was fought to end slavery. Although no wars were fought, many battles were waged for women 's rights. The struggle for women 's rights begin in the mid-late 1800s at a time when women were not allowed to vote or own property. Women, as with African-Americans, during this period were not recognized as having any legal and political rights as men and whites, respectively. This attitude towards women, at the time, was ascribed to the “gender rules in the 1700s” where men thought of “women as fragile creatures always in need of male protection and always denied access to the public sphere." (Lecture 2, 6:19). If women wanted to gain their individualism, rights, and freedoms they were entitle to; they would have to unite and create opportunities to do so. The inequalities women faced was the foundation of the Women 's Suffrage Movement and many other organizations in support of women.

From the beginning of time women have always had it harder than men. Rights were always limited for women. Till today there is still that a disadvantage for women in areas such as the work place and how women earn less money than men do. Like many rights women did not have, women were not allowed to vote. It was not until June fourth of 1919 congress passed the nineteenth amendment that guaranteed all American women the right to vote and it was ratified on August eighteen of 1920. If it was for the women’s suffrage movement which started in 1848 and ended in 1920 the nineteenth amendment would not have happened. Many strong, notable women were part of this movement. Sisters: The lives of America’s Suffragists by Jean Baker and Century of Struggle: The woman’s Rights Movement in the United States by Eleanor Flexner both cover the issues and the struggle that lead to giving women their right to vote. The two books both discussed the issues but they did not convey the message the same way. While one book captivated one’s emotion and changed the views of many, the other book just gave fact.

This investigation has enabled me to gain a perception into some of the techniques used by certain historians, as well as to the difficult task that historians encounter when undertaking historical investigations. I feel I have developed the skill of critically and carefully analyzing sources which is essential in the study of history. In order to carry out this investigation, I read books by well-known and praised historians on the subject of women’s rights and analyzed statistical evidence.

Women’s role in Greece can be seen when one first begins to do research on the subject. The subject of women in Greece is coupled with the subject of slaves. This is the earliest classification of women in Greek society. Although women were treated differently from city to city the basic premise of that treatment never changed. Women were only useful for establishing a bloodline that could carry on the family name and give the proper last rites to the husband. However, women did form life long bonds with their husbands and found love in arranged marriages. Women in Athenian Society Women are “defined as near slaves, or as perpetual minors” in Athenian society (The Greek World, pg. 200). For women life didn’t

Every reformation requires a leader—someone to set an example for them, to remind them what they are fighting for, to be the first person to stand up for their cause. Each leader represents every individual in their movement and they have to be willing to sacrifice everything for the cause of their movement. As entrepreneur Bo Bennet said, “Without initiative, leaders are simply workers in leadership position.” In the women’s rights movement, there was someone who defied all standards set up for women in the 1800s and took chances for the cause of suffrage and equality—Susan Brownell Anthony. Born into a Quaker family in New York, Anthony grew up under the notion of social equality and pursued independence as a young woman. This led her to pursue several imperative movements such as temperance, abolition and her most profound and recognized reformation—women’s rights. Susan B. Anthony played a critical role in changing the direction of the women’s rights movement and its success by demonstrating her authority as a leader and breaking the standards of society for women.

Lucy Stone, a Massachusetts antislavery advocate and a prominent lobbyist for women’s rights, formed the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA).