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  • Essay / Women's Rights Throughout History

    Women have been discriminated against because of their gender since before we can remember. Fortunately, since World War I, women have gained the rights they deserve as human beings. But, due to the history of discrimination against women and the role they played in society, some people still believe that women are inferior and that they are there to provide for men. Not only do men feel this way towards women, but also some women feel that this is how women are supposed to behave and that it is still our role in society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay This way of thinking created governments and continues to maintain traditions across the world that force women to follow specific rules which men are not required to follow. For example, in Islamic culture, women are not allowed to travel, work, study, or leave their homes without a man's permission. According to their laws, women are not allowed to choose their spouse and they are not allowed to divorce. Men can replace their wives whenever they want. Typically, men also get custody of the children. A woman can only file for divorce in a few cases, violence not being one of them. Only the husband's impotence, non-payment of alimony or his mental health are reasons why women can divorce. If the husband does not want to divorce her, the process can be very long and unnecessary. Not only do women become an object in Islamic culture, but they must also remain anonymous by using the hijab, which is supposed to separate men from women. . The hijab is used to control women's sexuality by reminding them that "they belong to the lower sex and are sexual objects for men to use." This limits their physical movements and free behavior. These are some of the many misogynistic rules that Islamic culture forces women to follow and a culture in which many women are raised believing that this is how women deserve to be treated. Some quotes written in the Quran are extremely disturbing and objectify women to the extreme. But these are the words by which the Islamic people live. This type of behavior doesn't only happen in Islam. Many other cultures follow similar rules and treat women the same way. Fortunately, most countries around the world have followed in the United States' footsteps; it was almost everything and arranged them according to their own beliefs and history. But that doesn't mean sexism isn't present in Western culture. We may have the same rights, but in reality, women are still considered inferior. Categorized as weak and not given the same opportunities as men in most areas. Women must constantly prove themselves to closed-minded men who feel superior simply because of their gender. Feminism is seen as a group of women seeking equal pay when in reality it is sexual harassment, and the objectifying comments that men continue to make do so, sometimes without realizing the misogyny that is taking place. hides behind their comments or in most cases, without really caring. Feminism is about increasing the empowerment of women and being equal to men and not superior. One of the main problems of feminists is the difference in paybetween men and women. This only proves that we are still treated differently because of our gender. In 2017, full-time, year-round female workers earned just 80.5 cents for every dollar earned by men. This represents a 20% gender gap. “According to our research, if change continues at the same slow pace as it has over the past fifty years, it will take 40 years – or until 2059 – for women to finally achieve pay parity . For women of color, the pace of change is even slower: Hispanic women will have to wait until 2224, and black women will wait until 2119 to achieve equal pay.” Only if there is no change and we maintain the same rhythm. It’s no longer just due to gender; this also includes ethnicity. Although there have been improvements over the years, society continues to discriminate against women, and even more so against women of color. Sexism is not only reflected in the gender pay gap, but also in the way women are treated. Sexual harassment has been around for decades, and while there are rules that prohibit it, the laws don't stop men from making subtle comments with a double meaning behind them, or staring a little too long, or even touching women in a way that could harm them. seems innocent for the rest, but it doesn't seem right. In some cases, men don't even try to be subtle about their intentions; they are brutal. They use force to get what they want and continue to treat women like objects. In 2017, women around the world shared their stories of sexual harassment on Twitter. The “MeToo” movement has gone viral and people have finally started discussing this common issue that affects us all. Not only have women with regular lives come forward with their stories, but many actresses and celebrities have spoken out about the abuse they suffered during their lives or careers. Tell stories about how powerful men threatened their careers by forcing them to have sex with them. These naive young women wanted to save their jobs and not be completely ruined. An online survey showed that 81% of women and 43% of men had experienced some form of sexual harassment. It also showed that 3 out of 4 women have been verbally harassed, by being called out or whistled at. This represents 77% of women victims of verbal sexual harassment. Another study showed that 66% of women have been harassed in a public space and 38% have been harassed in the workplace. Respondents reported that after being sexually harassed or assaulted, 31% felt anxious and depressed, 23% changed their route or routine. Sexual harassment has been around for as long as we can remember and although there has been an improvement in our society and the boundaries between what is appropriate and what is not have been drawn, many occasions around us, situations that we normalize or don't pay much attention to, where women are put in a position of fear. And when they talk about times they were harassed; some criticize them “that they wore short dresses” or “that they showed too much”. As a society, we must end this type of behavior that normalizes sexual harassment. No one deserves to be objectified or even dehumanized. It's not good. For centuries, women's role in society was to give birth to children, clean the house or cook. Women were not allowed tostudy or work outside the home. A teenage girl's goal was to get married, to find a man who would give her food in exchange for children. Women were objectified to the point that they did not even have the right to choose their husbands. They did not marry for love. The men paid the woman's family a certain amount of money, in exchange for being able to marry her. Women have become an object to be passed around like a kind of animal that a man could buy and own. Women were considered second-class citizens, behind men. Change did not begin to occur until the 1830s and 1840s. In 1848, Susan B. Anthony decided to gather many women together and discuss change. They demanded laws regarding child custody, divorce, property rights and voting rights. Throughout the 1800s, many female revolutionaries decided to seek change. Women like Amelia Bloomer, Jane Austen and Sarah Margaret Fuller. These 19th century authors spoke freely about women's rights and encouraged women to do something about the injustices present in their society. Then, in 1914, World War I broke out. The men went to fight and the women stayed at home, taking care of everything. This was the perfect opportunity for women to step up and find employment since all the men had left their jobs and the country needed food. Women became an essential part of society throughout the decade, which helped them claim certain rights after the war, such as the right to vote. I would say the 1920s were the beginning of change for women's rights. It took nearly 100 years for feminist activists to gain the right to vote, but on August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified. This declared and proved that women deserve all the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Women also won fairness in the workplace, minimum wage and the abolition of child labor. Additionally, in 1923, the first version of the Equal Rights Amendment was introduced. It said that men and women had equal rights in the United States and wherever they were subject to its jurisdiction. The 1960s and 1970s were the second wave of feminism. The 60s brought change and allowed women to seek change and not settle for a sexist society. In 1960, women made up six percent of American doctors, three percent of lawyers, and less than one percent of engineers. Women were paid less than men and opportunities for advancement were denied due to future pregnancies. This decade focused on dismantling inequality in the workplace, such as getting better jobs and equal pay, and stopping gender discrimination. In 1964, Howard Smith proposed adding a ban on sex discrimination to the Civil Rights Act. Members of Congress mocked him, but with Representative Martha Griffiths, the law passed with the amendment intact. In 1966, women launched the National Organization for Women (NOW), which advocates for pro-equality laws and helps women seeking legal help when they suffer discrimination. The 1970s are considered controversial, but they also brought many changes for women. In 1972, Congress passed "Title IX" of the Higher Education Act, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational program. This forced schools exclusively..