Reiters Syndome Essay, Research Paper

Equal Rights for Women

During the nineteenth century, the women suffrage movement was coming out full force to demand the equal rights of women in the United States and Europe. The women who supported the women’s suffrage adapted a Declaration of Principles that simply stated that, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal” (Perry, 1995, p.194). The women suffrage movement not only was striving for equal rights of women but also for voting privileges. Mary Wollstonecraft’s protested against the self-abasement of women to men. In the Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Wollstonecraft emphasized that a well-schooled, dependable, and powerful woman would be useful in society and able to manage a family. Women should be allowed to practice medicine as a physician, or manage a store where they can hold their heads high instead wasting their life away. In the writings of John Stuart Mill, he supported women’ s rights in The Subjection of Women. He believed that males abused their power over women, and sought to have women partake in political affairs. After women decided they were getting no where with simple demonstrations they decided to use some militant strategies by disrupting political meetings and enforcing hunger strikes lead by Emmeline Pankhurst. Finally, in 1920 women were allowed to vote in the United States.

Women in the 20th century have come along way, although they will always be fighting for the equal rights of women. Men still make a larger salary than most women do and they become higher executives. Women are now allowed to vote and have as good an education as a male. With this education women are becoming physicians and political figures in today’s society. Women can now hold their heads up high and be proud of who and what they are.