Feminism is a root of society and a topic holding heavy importance in the world, but the topic is not widely understood. Many people are minimally informed on the concept as a whole, which could be detrimental to society. Feminism is a belief in equality amongst all sexes that advocates for women’s rights, and it is important to understand how far society has come. With that being said, it is also necessary to be aware of the ongoing issues that impact people because feminism is crucial in the world now, perhaps more than ever.
“Early feminism was heavily influenced by the Enlightenment in Europe during the late 1700s,” according to Dictionary.com. “The movement focused on reason and equality for all, and it ultimately inspired the American and French Revolutions.”
A convention, originally known as the Women’s Rights Convention, was organized by two women, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. The convention is known today as the Seneca Falls Convention, and it was the first organized movement for women’s rights in America. The convention began in July of 1948, marking the beginning of the feminist movement.
According to the Oregon Secretary of State, the aim of this convention was to “open [a] discussion among the roughly 300 attendees concerning the rights and conditions of women in society, religion and politics.”
Women have been viewed as inferior to men for centuries dating back to 8000-3000 B.C. The term patriarchy, referring to an unbalanced system in which society is controlled by men, was not created until much later. The term was first documented in England half a century ago. Patriarchy has negatively affected society for generations, becoming more than an economic and social structural system.
Women have also been overlooked by society politically, and many argue that this is the reason that the United States has never had a female president. In earlier times, women fought for the right to vote, and this movement lasted for decades. The idea of the suffrage movement began to take form in the late 1700s, when America extended voting rights to the common man. This led many advocates for women’s rights to fight for inclusion in this extension.
“Anti-suffrage views dominated among men and women through the early twentieth century. Before organizing, suffrage opponents bonded without an official institution,” according to Crusadeforthevote.org. “Artists created political cartoons that mocked suffragists. Religious leaders spoke out against women’s political activism from the pulpit. Articles attacked women who took part in public life. Even without a coordinating institution, opposition to suffrage remained popular.”
Many people opposed the concept of women playing an active role in society. After decades of fighting, women were finally awarded with the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which states that a citizen’s rights to vote shall not be denied on account of their sex.
Another pivotal turning point in the fight for women’s rights came in 1973 in the state of Texas. Norma McCorvey, a Texas resident who went by the alias ‘Jane Roe,’ was denied an abortion in 1969, on the account that her pregnancy did not pose any medical risk to her life.
According to Planned Parenthood Action, “In 1971, 44 states outlawed abortion – with some exceptions to save a patient’s life, or for limited reasons such as rape, incest or fetal anomaly.”
A group of lawyers that were searching for a case that would allow them to challenge the bans on abortion filed a suit on McCorvey’s behalf. They were set to face Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade. While they were turned down at their first trial, the Supreme Court ordered a very rare reargument. On Jan. 22, 1973, seven out of nine Supreme Court justices agreed that the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment gave women the right to end their pregnancy prior to viability, and declared that nationwide abortion bans were unconstitutional. McCorvey had won.
Despite the 1973 Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade was officially overturned by the Supreme Court on June 24, 2022. During his first presidency, Donald Trump supported anti-abortion ideals. This removal of the right to abortions led to universal outrage, followed by many protests. This controversy has continued into the present time.
An ongoing argument relative to the feminist movement is the gender pay gap. In fact, this issue has remained steady, despite the widespread denunciation that it has received.
According to the Pew Research Center, “In 2022, women earned an average of 82% of what men earned, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of median hourly earnings of both full- and part-time workers. These results are similar to where the pay gap stood in 2002, when women earned 80% as much as men.”
The gender pay gap is a significant issue that is vastly overlooked in society. Many people have little to no education on the topic as a whole. Others who have an understanding of this issue believe it to be unjust.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “The wage gap is larger for mothers and results in employment-related losses of more than $295,000 over a lifetime. This results in women having lower average incomes in retirement and less financial stability in old age. Discrimination remains a likely leading cause of the gender wage gap.”
In order to successfully reach milestones within the feminist issue, society should be educated on both historical achievements and the current pressing concerns. Some mistake feminism for being a pro-women movement that supports a reverse patriarchy, in which women are believed to have a higher status than men. This is hardly the case because feminism is a belief in sexual equality, advocating for women’s rights.
