Women's Rights Movement: Is It Perfect Yet?

In this unit, we have been learning about the problems women faced in the 18th and early 19th centuries and how women's rights movements started being established to protest against them. In the mid- 19th century, women finally started taking a stand and protesting for equal rights. They were tired of being legally under the control of their husbands, not having a right to vote, not being allowed to own property, and not being allowed to attend colleges. They weren’t paid as much as men with the same jobs, and husbands could legally abuse them. Finally, a group of women on July 19, 1848 decided to start doing something about the inequality towards women. It was one of the first organized women’s suffrage gatherings, and it was called the Seneca Falls Convention. It was the first time the right to vote for women was publicly demanded. Many abolitionists were involved in the movement because if slaves were gaining the right to vote, women should be able to vote too. The Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions was the document that came out of the Seneca Falls Convention. The Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions was modeled after the Declaration of Independence; it started with a preamble, then listed all of their grievances, and finished with how they would resolve the problem. They demanded to be treated as equals and be given the right to vote. However, the 19th century society reacted in a variety of ways to their demands, and we can see these reactions through many of the different newspapers that were being published at that time. Some people reacted very positively to equality for women. As seen in newspapers such as the National Reformer, many people agreed with the changes. In the National Reformer on August 10, 1848, it says, “We think it the duty of every candid person to hear every proposal for the elevation of our race, and if they fall, let it be for want of argument to substantiate, not from the assaults of fulsome wit or vulgar sarcasm, which too often constitue the weapons of those men who think lightly of the efforts of female philanthropists...it is their right- it is their duty- to throw off such a government.” This shows how many people were very willing to listen to women’s demands and help to make their society more just and equal. If women are having problems or don’t think the government is fair, they should speak up and be heard; in fact it is their duty to bring these problems to light. However, some people were not as willing to listen to women. In the Oneida Whig newspaper on August 1, 1848, it says, “If our ladies will insist on voting and legislating, where, gentlemen, will be our dinners and our elbows?” This quote really shows how many men were very resistant to women’s rights, and how they didn’t want women doing ‘men’s work’. Another newspaper called the Mechanics Advocate in the Female Department said that, “every true-hearted female will instantly feel that it is unwomanly”, and used the statement that Adam came before Eve in the Bible as their logic as to why men are superior. So, although some people were willing to listen to the rights of women, some were not, and stood as obstacles for equality for women.

I think that although women and men are far more equal, society still reacts and stereotypes men and women differently. We watched the Pantene commercial below which displays how men and women are seen differently doing the same things.

I think that many of these stereotypes are still true. The woman trying to work and raise a kid being seen as selfish while it being seen as dedicated for a man is true. I think that women are seen as expected to only focus on raising their kid; that is their job. To have a job as well as a kid is seen as she is being too selfish to give up her job for her child, while men are seen as being a hard worker. Being a woman I do not like or agree with this stereotype, and I think it is unfair that a woman is expected to give up her job but not a man. Also dealing with jobs, I think some jobs are still seen as men’s jobs. I am really interested in engineering and the sciences, however this is a predominantly male field. In my engineering class there are only 5 girls and about 15 boys. There are many more men involved in engineering, and I would be very upset if something stood in the way of my interest in engineering because I am a girl. If something stood in the way of anything I wanted to do just because I am a girl, I would be extremely upset and that would not be fair, so I agree with everything that women’s rights movements were fighting for. Although sexism is much better now than it was in the 19th century, 21st century society still reacts differently to women.