Introduction:

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797) was a moral and political philosopher whose

analysis of the condition of women in modern society retains much of its original
radicalism.  Best known for her Vindication of the Rights of Woman  (1792), It is
often considered one of the first feminist texts and has been an inspiration for
feminist thinkers through the ages. Although it is over 300 years old, many of the
issues Wollstonecraft raises are still debated today. These include the difference
in education between boys and girls, why some traits are seen as male and some
female, and how women should be part of the democratic process.

A vindication of the Rights of Woman:

Wollstonecraft begins Vindication by saying that she's been feeling
depressed lately. After looking at the history of humanity, she has decided
that men and women are either very different or history has been extremely
unfair to women. In the end, she decides that the lack of good education for
women is the biggest cause of misery in the world.

 Key Idea #1: Women should not be looked down on as

second-class citizens.
Ever since the Bible said that Eve was made from a piece of Adam’s rib for his
entertainment, women have been considered mere servants to men. But if we
want a fair society, this notion has got to change.

A first step would be for women to be better represented in society; for instance,
by having a greater voice in literature. Men have always been able to express
their views on women, perpetuating the idea that they’re lesser than men.
Meanwhile, women have rarely been able to voice their disagreement. Such
behavior is deemed unladylike. So, to prevent any kind of disagreement, women
were often given mind-numbing stories to read and denied any educational
materials that might help them think critically.
  Women in Government:
Ensuring that women had more meaningful representation in government would
be another step in the right direction. Governments composed solely of men
often fail to even consider the rights of women. Wollstonecraft says that women
should be given the right to vote and also to participate in the politics.

 Virtue:
Women are merely taught to appear virtuous. That is, they’re taught to focus on
their beauty and grace rather than on their ability to reason and the intellectual
power that would command true respect. There are many men who have argued
over the ages that women don't have enough mental strength to become morally
good on their own: they need the guidance of men. But Wollstonecraft believes
that if women have souls, then they must have the same rational powers as men

 Key Idea #2: Girls should receive the same education and
opportunities as boys.
From an early age, boys and girls are taught that they’re not equal, a lesson that’s
perpetuated throughout their lives.

To combat this misconception, girls should go to school alongside boys and study
all the same subjects as them. Not just that, but these schools should also be
public so that they’re full of kids from different backgrounds.

In playgrounds girls are discouraged from developing their physical strength.

While boys are told to go out and play in the fields, developing a healthy physique
from a young age, girls are made to stay indoors and play with dolls.

By exaggerating the disparity in strength between women and men, society is

simply making girls more dependent on boys. Beyond that, dressing up their dolls
to be pretty only confirms for young girls that looks are the only important life
pursuit.

The biggest challenge to women's education seems to be the belief that women
should be kept innocent like children and taught nothing other than the skills for
pleasing their future husbands

Wollstonecraft blames the men of her time (especially Jean Jacques Rousseau) for
promoting a type of education that makes women completely useless as
members of society.

In the current system, women are only able to learn about the world by looking at
the surfaces of things. They are never taught how to figure out larger patterns
from individual observations, so they all just end up being superficial and shallow.
The same is true of military soldiers, who are taught only how to follow orders
and who don't have any core reason or virtue guiding what they do. They live on
the surface of life, according to Wollstonecraft.

 Key Idea #3: Women are kept mentally and physically weak
to facilitate their oppression.
Men are allowed to suppress the status of women in order to exert their own
power. For the most part, these men either want to keep women as sexual
objects or are simply bullies with the sole goal of absolute control.

That’s why these men think women should only focus on being attractive to men.

After all, women are taught to measure their value based on their ability to
secure a desirable husband, and getting a good husband means being pretty and
docile. This focus on marriage and aesthetic upkeep that is forced upon women in
place of knowledge causes them to become vicious and cruel under their
controlled and calm exteriors. It also puts women in a perpetual state of
competition with one another and prevents them from forming caring bonds or
learning through discussion.
For example: Imagine a man’s single sister moves in with her brother and his
wife only to be kicked out by the wife, who feels threatened by another female
presence – even if she poses absolutely no threat to her marriage.

Because of such fears, women are often sneaky and deceitful to their male
companions as they believe such tactics are key to maintaining these
relationships. In turn, men use this behavior to justify their harsh treatment of
their wives.

If women were simply taught to view themselves as equal with men, both in body
and in mind, it would not only benefit their own well-being but also that of their
husbands – and their marital relationships as well.

 Key Idea #4: Equal rights would encourage more stable and
loving relationships between men and women (Ideal Marriage)
A man’s relationship with his wife is molded by the inequality of the sexes, and
men often treat their wives solely as a necessary means to procreation or a
fashionable accessory.

Instead, men and women should forge friendships and not just love affairs. Such
a practice would establish stronger and more sustainable bonds.

If women only appear morally virtuous and don’t have a proper understanding of
morals and virtue, men will be inclined to treat them poorly and dismissively,
especially if they happen to reject the virtues women have had projected onto
them.

On the other hand, if women could truly acquire virtue and morals in the way that
men do, they would earn the respect of the other sex. Friendship between men
and women will only be possible when the sexes can interact as intellectual
equals.

“Make women rational creatures, and free citizens, and they will quickly
become good wives; - that is, if men do not neglect the duties of husbands and
fathers.”
  Key Idea #5: Greater rights for women would benefit society
as a whole.
So, women should have greater rights than they do, but not so that they can
overpower men. Rather, increasing the rights of women is necessary to put them
on a fair footing with men and enable them to equally contribute to the world
around them.

"I do not wish [women] to have power over men; but over themselves."

If women were men’s equals, they would be better able to bring up children and
raise future generations. To this end, equal access to education would have a
particularly strong impact. Well-educated women would be able to help their
children with their studies.

when treated equally, women would be able to take up matters of great

importance to the world, rather than simply worrying about what to wear. They
could become doctors who cure previously lethal diseases. They would also be
better prepared to raise healthy children and prevent the deaths of infants.

Conclusion:
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is one of the trailblazing works
of feminism. Wollstonecraft’s work argued that the educational system of her
time deliberately trained women to be frivolous and incapable. She posited that
an educational system that allowed girls the same advantages as boys would
result in women who would be not only exceptional wives and mothers but also
capable workers in many professions. Wollstonecraft’s work was unique in
suggesting that the betterment of women’s status be effected through such
political change as the radical reform of national educational systems. Such
change, she concluded, would benefit all society.

“My own sex, I hope, will excuse me, if I treat them like rational creatures, instead
of flattering their  fascinating  graces, and viewing them as if they were in a state
 of perpetual childhood, unable to stand alone.”
― Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman