Women's Rights Movement
The history of women movement started back in 1792. The movement was established in Britain by Mary Wollstonecraft in 18-century and she was driven by the ideology on political and moral issues. In 18th century, political theorists devalued the right and role of women in the society. The movement was based on fighting for fundamental rights such as education. In 1903, Emmeline Pankhurst started the women suffrage movement in Britain for the purpose of gaining voting rights. In United States, women right movement started in 1848-1899 in Seneca Falls Convection. The movement was led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton during the declaration of independent. Women showed their sentiment for lack of equal rights, education, employment and voting rights. From 1848-1920, women started the women’s suffrage movement driven by the need to vote and to equal rights with men. From 18th to 19th century, women faced a lot of discrimination, they were denied the rights in the society and this made them to establish the women’s right movement to reform the socioeconomic and political structure and enjoy their rights as women in social and political hierarchy.
The philosophy of feminist started in 1792 when Wollstonecraft asserted that women are important in making the nation, they are companions to their families and thus they should find a position in the society and enjoy the same rights as men ("Women's Rights Movements”, 1). Back in 1790, during the Revolution in France, there was a Revolution Controversy where Wollstonecraft was against the French Revolution and aristocracy which was established by Edmund Burke. In Burke’s realm, hereditary and language, he termed femininity as weak and they should be controlled by masculinity. Wollstonecraft argued that Burke aristocracy reflected on tradition and custom and the ancestral tradition could create path for constitution of slavery (Wollstonecraft, 85). At this period, she started the women right movement to critique writers such as Fordyce and Gregory who were against women rights. Wollstonecraft believed that women illiteracy was not associated with innate deficiency but they were illiterate for lack of education rights. To support the need for women rights, she stated that “I speak of improvement and emancipation of the whole sex…let woman share the rights” (Wollstonecraft, 91). In this statement, she meant that women should be empowered, encouraged and motivated so that they can achieve their vision of creating a strong nation and society. In philosophical argument, she argued that women were oppressed and denied their fundamental rights in sociopolitical hierarchy by the arbitrary political power. She asserted that women, like other human beings, should participate in the political world and expresses their views (Wollstonecraft, 91). In moral philosophy, she claimed that women are unable to think rationally due to the sensibility. Thus, she meant that women should have an education plan so that they can refine the civilization.
In the period of 1791-1792, Wollstonecraft gained the public role for her struggle with right of women. She was a political philosopher and she is remembered ebcaiuse of her feminism influence and shaping the lives of women. She is a remarkable woman who is a controversial figure and marked the history of feminism. She created the ‘first wave feminism’ through emphasizing on importance of education and equal rights (Wollstonecraft, 33). Wollstonecfar was an enlightenment thinker who realized that woman is oppressed, they lack marital right and they are discriminated in political roles. In Western Europe, women were not protected by the law, they lacked their legal identity, voting rights and even they could not inherit property. Wollstonecraft declared that according to the nature of God, men and women should inherit the inalienable rights and live a happy life (Wollstonecraft, 38). She focused on education and insisted that women, being the oppressed group should have the natural rights and get position in the patriarchal authority. Through education, she believed that women will have the power to build a strong nation and society as well. Wollstonecraft created a solid foundation of education and ensured that women are not oppressed or denied their fundamental rights in the society. In modern history, her publication and struggle with human rights has brought an enormous change and woman in today’s society are playing significant roles in society as well in political levels.
In 1903, Emmeline Pankhurst started the women right movement in Britain and formed the organization called Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU). The latter was a military organization which had many women who had different races ("Women's Rights Movements”, 1). The women right movement was formed for attaining the universal suffrage, since women has been denied the right to vote. The organization by Pankhurt was based on bringing social reforms and creating new military stance based on ‘Deeds, not Words’ (Marcus, 1). Emmeline was a member of political parties but she was not happy with the woman political organization of that time. The critiques pointed out that WSPU demanded for equal rights with men in voting and argued that it was unfair since only men should participate in parliamentary election. The media played part in depressing the organization and failed to disseminate articles on women’s suffrage. However, WSPU did not lose hope but rather it adopted other methods which could help them in achieving their voting rights. Women faced a lot a challenges to an extent that they were imprisoned for their struggle with voting rights. For example, Pankhurst and Kenney shouted to Edward Grey and demanded votes for women; they were kicked out, arrested and charged. Finally they were imprisoned in 1905 (Marcus, 18). Later in 1914, there was a war between England and Germany and at this period, WSPU formed a discussion and created a relationship with British Government. The collaboration with government led to discharge of suffragettes from reformatory and WSPU agreed to terminate the militant activities and join hands in combating the warfare. During the warfare period, WSPU was granted £2,000 by the government and the money helped them in continuing with their movement. In 1915, the women right movement published a newspaper based on ‘For King, For Country’ (Marcus, 7). In 1916, Jessie Kenney and Emmeline held a meeting with other leaders in Provisional Government. In the meeting Jessie Kenney claimed that “We gained nothing by our patriotism...no money” (Marcus, 6). In 1917, Emmeline introduced the ‘The Woman Party’ for the purpose of supporting equal rights for employment, equal rights for children, equal rights to access public service, equal marriage rights and more. Later after the establishment and passing of the Act, women were given the right to vote in 1918.
Emmeline Pankhurst gained the public role of being the political activist and establishing the suffrage movement in British. She played a significant role in fighting for voting rights and ensured that all women gained their right and participated in election process (Marcus, 1). The woman is regarded as conservative revolutionary who was courageous and used strength to fight for women’s right. Before war 1, the woman created the militancy for the purpose of fighting for their rights as women. Despite the fact that suffrages were imprisoned, they started the hunger strikes which led to discharge of the imprisoned. The woman feared nothing and believed that they shall fight in all conditions no matter whether they will face death or not (Marcus, 4). She used different tactics such developing an active organization, breaking laws, violent act and other campaign tactics with an aim that they will achieve their voting rights. She is remembered in modern history for ensuring that women are not oppressed and their enjoyed the same rights with men the society. Though their woman movement was full of violence, the aggression helped them in meeting their demands of voting. She stood with her own principles and maintained her unwavering resolution as well as her radical and aggressive tactics (Marcus, 6). She demonstrated a great concern in lives of woman and believed that if only they could achieve their voting rights, they would create a strong nation, eliminate social injustices and gender inequality.
In United States, the first women movement was started in 1848 by Elizabeth Cady in Senecall Falls Convection. During this period, the women right movement developed a document on Declaration of Sentiment and woman demonstrated their grievances which derived from economic, social and political matters ("Women's Rights Movements”, 1). Earlier in 1837, women attended a political meeting of Anti-Slavery Convection and in the meeting; they were discriminated in that they were not allowed to participate. Later, they attended the Women’s Right Convection and two documents namely; Declaration of Sentiment and Declaration of Resolutions were signed (Hurley, 1). The movement was influenced by the issue that they were denied equal rights in such a way that they were not recognized in the society to own property. In 19th century, NWSA and AWSA organization were developed to empower the women right movement toward the rights of voting Adams. In 20th century, since the pre-Revolutionary era to American Revolutionary, women in American society were undervalued in socioeconomic and political issues (Hurley, 8). They did not live under male dominion nor did they access legal rights, voting or right to own property. However, during the period of Civil War and Reconstruction, women roles in the society portrayed a significant change in that they expressed their views and struggled to free from the patriarchal society. In 19th and 20th century, there was also a change in political status following that women had started the reform movement for purpose of gaining rights for voting and education (Adams, 1).
By 1870, women movement had gained power and at this period, Elizabeth Cady acted as the women’s rights activist and led to the Declaration of Sentiment driven by political and socioeconomic sentiment ("Women's Rights Movements”, 1). Cady Stanton joined hands with other women such as Lucy Stomen and Antoinette Brown to continue with the movement for gender discrimination. Later, the women rights movement led to political and social changes in that there was education reform and women were able to advance their education (Adams, 72). In 1920, woman started experiencing change in political arena in that they were given the right to vote. Stanton gained her legacy from 1814 to 1902 in America as she was well known as the feminist theorists in women’s suffrage movement. She started the movement during the antislavery convection and demonstrated her concern in women’s abilities and rights in American society.
Conclusion
Since 18th century, women have struggled to fight for their rights. For many years, they have been discriminated in the society. They have lived under the masculinity power and they have denied their fundamental rights such as right to vote, right to own property and right to get position in social and political hierarchies. However, woman such as Wollstonecraft, Pankhurst and Elizabeth Cady used their strength to ensure that woman shared equal rights with men and they were recognized as important people in the society. The important point to note is that in the centuries of women’s right movement, women struggled with common issues such as gender discrimination and denial of equal rights. The point is that through their strength, they marked the modern history following that women in today’s society enjoy equal rights with men, they participate in election process and they also lead in socio, and political hierarchies.
Work cited
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Marcus, Jane. Suffrage and the Pankhursts. Routledge, 2013
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