Introduction
Women have experienced challenges and accomplishments throughout the United States since 1877. Discrimination and oppression against women have taken many forms, including denial of the right to vote, work, own property, and sexual harassment at work. In addition, they fought for their rights and freedoms, such as the right to vote, the right to education, the right to civil rights, and the right to abortion. The suffrage movement, women’s participation in World War II, the struggle for women’s education, and the #MeToo movement demonstrate how the roles and status of women have changed over time.
The Fight for Women’s Voting Rights
The Women’s Suffrage Movement’s accomplishment in securing women’s voting rights as legislators was the first important development in the history of women’s emancipation. This was led by the fact that the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920 (Thomas, 2019). Various suffragist organizations and activists led the way in the nationwide Women’s Suffrage Movement. Famous people involved include Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, and Carrie Chapman Catt, who were instrumental in promoting the right of women to vote.
The suffragists had to overcome a variety of obstacles in their fight for the right to vote. Giving women the right to vote was fiercely opposed by conservative groups who saw it as a challenge to social norms and conventional gender roles. Additionally, the suffrage movement faced violence, prejudice, and opposition from parliamentarians. The significance of the 19th Amendment can be fully appreciated by considering the consequences of its application (Thomas, 2019).
The movement prompted debates about women’s place in society, challenged preconceived notions of gender, and paved the way for more chances for women to pursue higher education and gain work. In addition, female activity sparked by the suffrage movement helped advance larger social, political, and cultural transformations.
The specific source providing background on this event is “The woman suffrage movement in America: A reassessment” by McConnaughy (2013). Unlike familiar stories about high-profile suffragists who pushed for constitutional amendments, this book describes women’s struggles. The book describes the suffrage movement as one involving the varied politics of women across the country and the incentives of men with primary political power – those in state legislatures – to grant new voting rights.
This book describes the successes and failures of women’s suffrage initiatives in five states and the US Congress through qualitative and quantitative evidence. Coalitional politics involving farmers’ organizations, labor unions, Populists, Progressive parties, and other vital constituencies of existing male voters resulted in success and failure.
Redefining Gender Roles During World War II
The second significant development was the widespread involvement of women in World War II, which occurred between 1939 and 1945. The military operations were conducted all around the country; hence, there was no designated place for them. Women from various racial and ethnic groups, such as African American and Native American women, participated in World War II.
Women played various roles during World War II, including nurses, pilots, industrial workers, codebreakers, intelligence agents, and more. This was due to the demand for labor caused by the enormous number of men drafted into the military.
Gender roles and bias towards them were destroyed by the fact that women took part in World War II on an equal footing with men. Women took a strong position at that time and were able to prove to men that they deserved the same rights and respect in society (Erlandsson, 2019). Traditional male positions were challenged, and gender stereotypes gradually began to lose their positions.
“The twenties in contemporary commentary” is an article published in 2023 that serves as evidence for women’s disadvantaged position compared to men in the field of employment. It emphasizes how eye-opening women’s participation in World War II was for American society, which was used to a strict delineation of gender roles.
This excerpt is particularly important: “How modern woman is delving into the sacred precincts of male occupation and is now found in the role of bandit, judge, bricklayer, hunter, and race horse jockey” (Hardenbergh, 1923, p. 2). This source accentuates how difficult it was for women to ensure meaningful social change.
The Women’s Liberation Movement and Access to Education
The rise of the Women’s Liberation Movement in the 1960s was the third event. Although it included women from every part of America, the movement also spread to other nations. Women from a variety of backgrounds, including activists, feminists, academics, and regular women, participated in the founding of this movement.
It was affected by the larger social and cultural shifts of the 1960s and 1970s, such as the rising popularity of the counterculture movement, the anti-war movement, and the civil rights movement. The movement was important historically because it addressed issues including gender equality in intimate relationships, workplace discrimination, reproductive rights, and violence against women.
Burkett’s article “Women’s Rights Movement” (2023) gives special attention to the history of the Women’s Liberation Movement. This article discusses women’s rights and political and social movements that marked the movement’s history, which emerged in the 1960s and 1970s in various countries.
This movement was part of the second wave of feminism that sought equal rights, opportunities, and greater personal freedom for women. It challenged the prevailing notions of femininity and the oppression of women in politics, work, family, and sexuality. Other social movements, such as the civil rights movement, the student movement, and the anti-war movement, inspired the movement. This article is relevant because it showcases how later feminists continued suffragists’ initiatives.
The opportunity to receive an education is critical to developing women’s rights and emancipation. Access to educational programs was essential in accelerating the overall movement for women’s rights. This became possible because more educated women were better able to become independent from men and, as a result, fight for emancipation. The historical development of many societies has resulted in many women being denied access to traditional university education.
This had negative consequences, such as low opportunities for women to become independent due to the inability to find decent work. The acquisition of rights to educational opportunities played an important role in further developing women’s emancipation. Social and economic inequality could only be overcome by directly comparing men and women in terms of rights.
All the negative factors of the impossibility of getting an education led to the beginning of the struggle for emancipation in this sector. In the 20th century, this movement began to take on an apparent shape as Malala Yousafzai began to actively fight for the right to education (Martínez García & Martínez García, 2020). This was a big challenge to the then-gender norms, making it clear that this state of affairs was unexpected. Women pioneers themselves undertook to start reforming the rules for entering higher educational institutions.
Thus, gender equality in the educational process began to take shape due to the movement of women who wanted to expand their rights in the future. At the same time, in some cases, their struggle was complicated by severe threats to their lives, but this did not prevent them from carrying out full-fledged campaigns that were aimed at achieving the recognition of equality (Martínez García & Martínez García, 2020). This activity of the movement contributed to the fact that more girls worldwide began to receive education first in schools and then in higher education institutions.
The #MeToo Movement and the Fight Against Sexual Harassment
Another event that shaped women’s history was the #MeToo movement, which started in 2006 and gained global attention in 2017. This movement exposed the widespread prevalence and impact of sexual assault and harassment, especially in the workplace and entertainment industry.
It also empowered survivors to share their stories and demand accountability from perpetrators and institutions. Some of the challenges of this movement were the backlash from some men, the lack of legal protection and support for victims, and the diversity and inclusion of different voices and experiences within the movement.
The majority of the victims of sexual abuse who were part of the #MeToo movement were female. Gender division has affected this area of oppression, which is a negative factor since violence manifests itself predominantly in one direction (Leung & Williams, 2019).
In response to the pervasive occurrence and effects of sexual assault and harassment, notably in the workplace and entertainment business, the #MeToo Movement was born. The movement resulted in extensive public debate, policy modifications, and legal revisions on sexual misbehavior. It emphasized the requirement for greater safety nets, legal safeguards, and cultural modifications in how people view survivors.
Probably, the most enlightening source about the origins of the #MeToo movement is “Tarana Burke” by The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica (2023). A biography is presented here about Tarana Burke (born September 12, 1973, in Bronx, New York, U.S.), an American activist and business executive who founded (2006) the #MeToo movement, which aims to assist survivors of sexual violence, specifically females of color. The factual nature of the biography’s content provides a foundation for the evidence regarding the current successes of contemporary feminists.
Conclusion
In conclusion, gender roles have changed dramatically over time as women got the right to participate in the war, started the #MeToo movement, and shown that equality must be established. These incidents exemplify women’s struggles and the victories they have attained in their quest for justice and equality. Since they questioned the existing quo, gender expectations, and the pursuit of gender equality, these events have been historically noteworthy. Ultimately, they have prompted crucial discussions, affected legislation, and encouraged modifications in social attitudes and perceptions.
References
Burkett, E. (2023). Women’s rights movement. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web.
Erlandsson, S. (2019). Off the record: Margaret van Kleffens and the gendered history of Dutch World War II diplomacy. International Feminist Journal of Politics, 21(1), 29-46. Web.
Hardenbergh, M. (1923). Taking the hand off the cradle to catch devilfish: How modern woman is delving into the sacred precincts of male occupation and is now found in the role of a bandit, judge, bricklayer, hunter, and racehorse jokey. The Atlanta Constitution. Web.
Leung, R., & Williams, R. (2019). # MeToo and intersectionality: An examination of the# MeToo movement through the R. Kelly scandal. Journal of Communication Inquiry, 43(4), 349-371. Web.
Martínez García, A. B., & Martínez García, A. B. (2020). Malala Yousafzai: Fighting for Girls’ Rights via Collaboration and Co-construction. New Forms of Self-Narration: Young Women, Life Writing and Human Rights, 19-38. Web.
McConnaughy, C. M. (2013). The woman suffrage movement in America: A reassessment. Cambridge University Press. Web.
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (2023). Tarana Burke. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web.
Thomas, T. A. (2019). More Than the Vote: The Nineteenth Amendment as Proxy for Gender Equality. Stan. JCR & CL, 15, 349. Web.