Wilma Mankiller

At the height of the Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968), women played a big part in not only keeping the crusade alive, but also played a big part in energizing the masses to continue the long and arduous struggle against the seemingly impenetrable institutions of power which disenfranchised African-Americans and regarded their humanity as nothing more than mere pieces of property owned by others. Women like Coretta Scott King, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, Septima Clark and countless mothers, sisters, and daughters proved to be important

Susan B. Anthony once said, “I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand.” (Brainy Quote) Susan B. Anthony is a recognizable name, but one that is not rightfully credited for the equal society we live in today. During her time, “equal” was a feared term for many American citizens, and at the mention of this word, many turned their heads. To some, equal meant white, middle-class men giving away their to control to those who were “unfit” to have any sort of decision-making role in society; women and African American’s. Whether it was her Quaker upbringing or her inborn strength, Susan B. Anthony refused to live in a world where any type of person was treated unequally. Although she started as an abolitionist and temperance movement activist, she went on to become one of the most influential suffragists in United States History. Susan B. Anthony’s fiery passion and courage regarding the equal rights of all people, regardless of gender or color, started a revolutionary movement that impacted not only the United States, but the entire world.

The gender bias found in relation to leadership in the civil rights movement often excludes African-American women’s contributions as being of less importance and prominence; however, in hindsight informal leaders were on equal level with formal leaders and bridge leaders served an important function resulting from exclusion.

Within the past 50 years, there has been an increasing amount of women in the government. Whether these women hold powerful positions such as Secretary of State, or hold minor positions such as PTA President, a political revolution is brewing. The United States of America is lacking substantially with regards to females in office, in fact if one were to look statistically at the amount of women in the government, the United States is failing tremendously. Although the United States likes to claim that they are the land of opportunities, it seems as if the only ones reaping those benefits are cis white males. But, there are women who choose to break the glass ceiling and attempt to explore the opportunities that are in front of them, and one

One woman who has relentlessly served as nationwide leader for the empowerment of women is Eleanor Smeal. This inspiring woman has been on the frontlines for women’s rights for nearly thirty years, and continues to invoke change in legislation today. She is considered a highly

Prior to the 20th Century, the idea of equal rights or even something similar to equal rights was just a distant thought of a few. The drive towards equal rights was a seed waiting to be planted and once it was, the seed sprouted and became strongly rooted. We of the 21st Century are benefiting from a society established on these roots. A societal change was a result of the sacrifices of past leaders, namely a woman by the name of Alice Paul. Alice Paul was an amazing leader, possessing qualities that all aspiring leaders should try to emulate. By investigating the leadership styles Alice Paul incorporated, we can determine how she was able to influence the movement, the results of her contributions and how the leadership styles are able

Equality for women has been an ongoing debate for years. Most people recognize the inequality for women in areas besides the business world. However, women in politics is one of the most well-known topics. Until a few years ago, the thought of having a woman as president was absurd. It wasn’t until the 2008 election that the idea of a woman for president would change drastically. Both Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton decided to run in the 2008 presidential election. Although neither of the two were elected, they both still made a dramatic impact on the views of women in politics. Michelle Bernard states that the 2008 election was a breakthrough for women in general. However, Marie Cocco disagrees, stating that the loss was a major disappointment for women. Although both authors feel strongly about their

Out of the many contemporary adults who are inspiring leaders, there is one who prominently catches my attention. Leymah Gbowee is a Liberian peace activist who spends her time spreading awareness about the issues that women and girls face throughout the world. Sometimes, women are afraid to stand up for themselves or voice their opinions about the situations they encounter. Although Leymah Gbowee does not have the power to help every individual female, she does what she can to encourage as many females as possible to stand strong behind their beliefs and rights as human beings.

Women learned from their involvement with the civil rights movement to “think radically about the personal worth and abilities of people whose role in society had gone unchallenged before.” These thoughts, naturally, became part of how women began to place themselves within the civil rights movement and to truly start to think about what being a woman in a civil rights organization, like SNCC meant. In a way SNCC acted similarly to the radical abolitionists of the nineteenth century in that they “suggested ways that individual discontent could become the basis for large scale political activism.” They began to think about the societal institutions that they were expected to be a part or such as marriage and childrearing. Women in the movement had “developed too much self-confidence and self-respect to accept subordinate roles passively.”

At times the women’s activism movement was able to cooperate across racial and gender lines in favor of common interests. They were able to work together in order “to demand additional rights based on sex.” In addition, they were able to jointly support other causes such as the Spanish American War. However, this cooperation had limits and was often unable to overcome the racial and class differences between them. “Women who organized primarily on the basis of sex usually worked within rather than across racial and ethnic lines.” In addition, several organizations that were run by women tended to favor the needs of women who were of the same ethnicity, and neglected the needs of

Females across the nation started speaking out against gender inequality. Discrimination in areas such as the workplace, marriage, and government had become overwhelmingly obvious and women started fighting back (Banks 207). This uprising coincided with the Civil Rights Movement. During the same time, African-Americans were standing up against segregation and for racial equality. These two movements went hand-in-hand, as they both had similar motives. Both women and blacks were fighting against oppression in their own country, and they benefitted from each other’s successes. But it wasn’t strictly these two minority groups standing up for themselves during this time, as Mexicans and Native Americans joined the cause too. They also spoke out against inequality by hosting similar protests and demonstrations as the black and women’s rallies. This showed how the 1960’s were a popular time for minority groups to take a stand and make their voices heard, and women were only one of the many groups of people who rallied for change during that time.

According to Michelle Bachelet, “Gender equality will only be reached if we are able to empower women.” Throughout the course of history, women have had to fight for equality. Equal rights, equal judgement, and even equal pay are some of the things that most women do not receive. Women were expected to take on specific roles and to stick to those roles. Whether it be political or social roles; many women believed they could do the job of any man just as good, if not better. To broadcast the discomfort, people gather together and host rallies, protests and even create orginizations to raise awareness about the inequality. Others choose different routes to express their indiferences. X.J. Kennedy, Susan Glaspell and Christina Rossetti chose

Wangari Maathai, who pioneered the movement, was an extremely brave leader. She rallied women to stand up not only to the male leaders around them, but to the government as a whole. However, the movement faced some of the same problems that the early feminists did. Their lack of prior experience in speaking in public settings was a detriment. With no sufficient models around to demonstrate how this sort of movement should be presented, many people in that case would have given up and waited for someone else to take action. Wangari, however, persevered, encouraging women to learn how to plant trees, store rainwater and provide the firewood and food needed to support a family. She became a role model to many women who never before had a strong female figure to look up to. In the text book, we read about “Activism, Change. And Feminist Futures”. One of the points it covered was the 10 most powerful women in the world. All of the women on that list are active role models in the global community who show how important it is for women to take charge of their own destiny. They, along with women like Wangari, are actively working towards a better world for all

Women’s empowerment is a noted concept in social change, which is much discussed, often elusive and sometimes abused. Yet in the context of development, women’s leadership and agency in social change have been levers for women’s empowerment within communities. Women have sought to fight entrenched interests for community benefits, and have garnered through their collective strength, a new identity. Women’s rights around the world are an important indicator to understand global well-being.