Elizabeth February 5, 2019

Feminism

There are many different ways to look at the world and the people who live in

it. The term “feminism” is a scary word to most people due to the portrayal of feminists

in the media. Feminism actually represents equality of the sexes in all aspects of life.

People may not consider themselves a feminist due to the things they hear about in the

news, including radical feminist groups that shine a poor light on the spirit of

feminism. However, if you’re woman, you should know what happening in the

government and all around the world. As a woman you should want to protect your

rights and stand up for equality. The government today is made up of mostly white

men, Congress is 81% male and only 19% female while 51% of the population is female

while 49% is male. There is an overwhelming amount of men compared to women in

the government, and this male dominated system makes decisions about our lives and

our bodies without proper knowledge. These men have the power to take away the

right to choose, free birth control pills, and much more, even though they don’t

experience any of it themselves. Rules for women should be made by women to

include and support all women. Men shouldn’t have the power to tell women what they

can and can’t do with their bodies.

If you are a man, you should feel strongly about the rights of your female

peers. Even though it doesn’t apply directly to you, it will affect your mother, daughters,

sisters, and friends. Men should understand that more rights for women, doesn’t take

any rights away from them. Everyone should support women’s rights because women’s

rights are human rights.

 From the beginning of time, men and women have had specific roles that society

enforces. Through the years, many powerful women have fought to eliminate these

roles. Through many different circumstances, women have been able to slowly but

surely break through the societal standards set by men. Events such as World War

Two opened a door for women to enter the workplace. Since the men were out at war,

the women had to assume the positions that the men left. Today, a child’s

understanding of gender roles is a key part in their socialization and interactions with

their peers. No matter where a child lives, gender roles are introduced to them as

young as four years old. (Planned Parenthood). Specific behaviors and activities are

introduced to them and they’re taught to submit to these behaviors according to your

gender. For example, before the 1950’s-60’s women only wore skirts. Little girls were

taught that pants were for boys, even though they were easier to play in. Many women

in this period also were subject to “household duties” which means that their only job is

to cook, clean, and raise children. While women cook and clean all day, the men were

expected to have a job and provide for their families. These roles are detrimental to

both men, women, and society as a whole because of the loss of women’s ideas in the

workplace. In years later, women were able to gain more rights such as the right to vote

which was a huge step forward in the women’s rights movement.

A pressing issue for women in the early 20th century is that they did not have

the right to vote. The Women’s Suffrage Movement was a movement in the early 20th

century to amend the constitution and allow women to participate in voting. Before

1920, women in America were not allowed to vote in any elections. This was greatly
unjust because women still had to abide by the commands of the president, but didn’t

get a say in who it should be. It is necessary for all Americans to vote because people

should have the right to vote based on their interests. This will allow a lifestyle that we

choose for ourselves, which is a key part of what our country stands for. Women began

to stand up for themselves and for the rights that should’ve been given to them at age

eighteen. The National American Woman Suffrage Association was an organization

formed on February 18, 1890 to stand up for women’s suffrage in the United

States. This organization started with a mere seven thousand members, but in time the

membership increased to over two million members. This organization made huge

steps towards passing the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The Nineteenth Amendment was passed in 1920, which granted women the right to

vote in all American elections. This was an extremely pivotal moment in American

history because after over 30 years of protests and rallies, women were finally granted

the right to vote. (History). Now, the views of men and women were all shown in the

elections. This was an extremely important step in the direction of equality for the

United States. Due to the relentlessness of these women, America was changed

enormously for the better.

Shortly after women earned the right to vote, World War Two began. Before

World War Two began, women had very specific gender roles in the household. The

ideal woman would cook, clean, and carry and raise the children while the man would

have a job and provide for the family. This is an example of the oppressive society that

women were faced with before the Second World War. During World War Two, women

were able to pursue new forms of work that they had never been able to pursue
before. This marked the beginning of a surge of women into the everyday workforce as

we know today. During World War Two, over 350,000 women joined the armed forces

to serve their nation during the war. (History At A Glance, Women in World War

Two). In 1940-1945, many men were in the military fighting for their country. This

opened many open jobs in factories, which allowed women to come fill these spots in

the labor force. However, these women were paid far less than their male counterparts

to do the same work. Nevertheless, it empowered many women to know that they didn’t

need a man to rely on for financial support. Since society wouldn’t allow for women to

be anything other than a homemaker, it enticed women to know that they were capable

of the same jobs that men did. Women also faced many issues while entering the

workforce. One problem the women faced was childcare. Since many of the women

initially stayed home with their children, there was no pre-school like we know today.

So Eleanor Roosevelt established childcare facilities under the Community Facilities Act

of 1942 which allowed women more women to enter the workforce. (History At A

Glance: Women in World War Two). After World War Two ended, men returned from

battle and women were forced out of their factory jobs. Now, these women were ready

for a push towards reforming society to allow women into the workforce. Therefore,

World War Two was a pivotal point for women due to their entrance into the usually

male dominated workforce.

Throughout history, men and women have had many different roles in the

workplace. Women around the world have had to face many hardships breaching the

walk of a male dominated workforce. When women were finally accepted into the

workplace, statistically they were paid less than men. Even today, in many of the same
jobs women will get paid less than a man for doing the same work. In 2016 the median

pay for men was 22% higher than the wages of their female coworkers, and in 2018 the

median pay was 24% higher for men as opposed to their female counterparts. As well,

in 2016, a survey was conducted and the results found that for every $1 a man earns, a

woman will earn 97.8 cents to do the same work with the same qualifications. There

are many arguments that defend against the wage gap as well. One prominent

argument people will give is that women won’t be able to work on maternity leave and

therefore they will make the company lose money. This argument is irrelevant because

a woman’s decision to have a child shouldn’t affect her job. (Vagins). Just because men

can’t carry children, it shouldn’t impact the treatment of women. Therefore, the wage

gap is still prominent today and people should be informed about workplace treatment

of women. Even in our more progressive society today, there are many violent acts

against women.

Violent acts are committed all around the world by various types of

individuals. Many countries have a plethora of law codes that are put in place to

prohibit violent acts against society. In America, statistics have uncovered that 91% of

rape victims are female, while only 9% of rape victims are male (National Organization

for Women). This overwhelming statistic shows how much of an issue we have in our

country. Another poll shows that 1 out of every 6 women in the United States has been

a victim of completed rape or an attempted rape in their lifetime, while 17.7 million

women have fallen victim to rape (National Crime Victim Action Survey). These

astounding statistics are proof that we need change in this country. DNA evidence is

almost always needed to convict a rapist but more likely, most cases don’t even make it
to court. For every 1000 rapes, 230 are reported to the police. 46 of those reports lead

to an arrest, while only 9 cases are referred to a prosecutor. Out of those 9 cases, 5 will

lead to a felony conviction. Finally, 4.6 out of those 1000 accused rapists get

incarcerated. (National Crime Victim Action Survey) . These whopping statistics should

open America’s eyes and show them that the criminal justice system and laws that were

put in place for sexual assault are not working. Many women deserve justice that they

were never allowed because it was easier to look the other way. But even so, there are

still many issues that are endured by women in America. The issue of women’s

reproductive rights is also an issue that many women around the world face every day.

Reproductive rights for women have always been a controversial issue not only

in the United States, but all over the world. In the United States, a famous court case

changed women’s reproductive rights forever. This court case was called Roe versus

Wade in 1973 where Jane Roe fought for a woman’s right to choose. (Planned

Parenthood Federation Of America Inc). This was an enormous case that was taken all

the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. The final verdict was that it was

indeed legal to get an abortion in the United States. Before this court case happened, it

was illegal for women to get a legitimate abortion, which many women were very angry

about. This is a prime example of the progression of female rights which is very exciting

for women all over. Sadly, many other nations are not as progressive as the United

States in the category of women’s Reproductive Rights. Countries like China have strict

reproductive rights that were punishable by law. From 1970-2015, China had a strict

One-Child Policy where parents were only allowed by law to have one child. This is a

horrible violation of these women’s rights because if they went against this law and had
a second child, they faced getting fired from work, being shunned, and paying fines. On

the other hand, women who had only one child were awarded with raises at their jobs,

free healthcare, and the first pick of schools for their child. These are still controversial

issues that people debate, but hopefully in the future people will see what is truly just.

Women around the world enjoy many different freedoms depending on where

they live. A topic that catches my attention is how women are treated in the Middle

East. Places such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq have a predominantly Muslim

populations. The religion of Islam preaches that women’s bodies should be fully

covered. This is such a different way of living from what we’re used to from the U.S.. In

America, we preach that women should be able to decide for themselves what they

wear and what they do. But, I’m the Middle East, modesty empowers women which is a

totally different way of looking at things.

However, due to their patriarchal society in the Middle East, many women are

oppressed by their male counterparts. Many women in places such as Saudi Arabia,

aren’t even allowed to leave the house without a male escort. Women were just legally

allowed to drive only a few years ago in these countries. Many women were set up in

arranged marriages and if they were suspected of being “impure” before marriage, their

families would disown them or even kill them. (Abu Khalil). Women in the Middle East

have a very different aspect of society and it’s very interesting to look at the different

viewpoints of women based on where they live. On the other hand, women in Saudi

Arabia have just made a major breakthrough in their country.

 In years prior, it was illegal for women in Saudi Arabia to drive a car. In Saudi

Arabia, there have been strict laws about women and their rights. Since their society is

predominantly male dominated, women have little to no say in the decisions in

government. A new prince named Mohammed bin Salman was appointed about a year

and a half ago in Saudi Arabia. This new prince had more progressive ideas to what

the Saudis were used to such as lifting the ban on women driving. The idea that this

prince leads with is called liberalization, which is focused on equality and rights for all

people. This Saudi Prince plans to introduce many more freedoms and equality to

women in his country. This will be essential especially for the workforce and Saudi

Arabia’s economy. By allowing women to work, they will have more workers and

therefore increase production. (NPR). Also since this new prince has assumed power,

the ban has also lifted on women attending concerts and movies with men which is a

big step in the right direction for Saudi Arabia. The women in Saudi Arabia are feeling

very empowered after being oppressed for so long. These women are getting a small

taste of freedom by finally being allowed to drive. Many women around the world have

to face many violations of their rights. After many years of oppression, women have

joined together to fight against their oppressors.

Throughout history, the idea of feminism and the rights of women have changed

enormously through the years. Beginning in the 20th century, women have been taking

a stand for their rights with greater will and support. Due to many brave women

standing up to the patriarchy, in 1920 women finally earned the right to vote in

presidential elections. This was an enormous step forward for women in America.

Although, these same freedoms were not awarded to women in some other countries.
For example, women in Saudi Arabia do not have nearly the same rights as women in

America. Just this year, women were given the right to drive a car and earn a

license. This is baffling to most people in America. Since women have so many rights

here it’s hard to believe that in places like Saudi Arabia, the government is patriarchal

and women don’t have a say. However, there are still many issues for women in

America. The wage gap is a prominent issue for women in America who have the same

qualifications as a man and do the same job but earn less solely because they’re a

women. Another big conflict for women is violence against women. Sexual assault in

America is very prominent even today. Women are getting increasingly watchful due to

these circumstances in America. Even though America still has some issues pertaining

to women’s rights, we are still a very progressive country in the big picture. Many

people look poorly on feminism but people should know that feminism is essentially

supporting the equality of the sexes. Therefore, feminism is essential to society all over

the world.

Works Cited

“History At a Glance: Women in World War II.” The National WWII Museum | New
Orleans,

www.nationalww2museum.org/students-teachers/student-resources/research-
starters/women-wwii.

“Issues.” National Organization for Women, now.org/issues/

“Rape in the United States.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Mar. 2019,
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_in_the_United_States.

Sant, Shannon Van. “Saudi Arabia Lifts Ban On Female Drivers.” NPR, NPR, 24 June
2018,
www.npr.org/2018/06/24/622990978/saudi-arabia-lifts-ban-on-women-drivers.

“The Criminal Justice System: Statistics.” RAINN,

www.rainn.org/statistics/criminal-justice-system.

“The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap.” AAUW,

www.aauw.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/.

Parenthood, Planned. “Gender Identity & Roles | Feminine Traits &

Stereotypes.” Planned Parenthood,
www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/sexual-orientation-gender/gender-gender-
identity/what-are-gender-roles-and-stereotypes.

“Women's Suffrage.” Google, Google,

www.google.com/amp/s/www.history.com/.amp/topics/womens-history/the-fight-for-
womens-suffrage.

“Women's Suffrage.” Google, Google,

www.google.com/amp/s/www.history.com/.amp/topics/womens-history/the-fight-for-
womens-suffrage.