Importance of Women`s Rights

Equality between the sexes

Females shouls be able to lead lives without feeling ˝less than˝

Equal access to education, health and employment for both sexes

Around 60 years ago, women were not allowed
to…

I. Apply for a loan or credit card in their own name or loan application

II. Work in civil service or legal profession

III. Inherit and bequeath property like men

IV. Claim equal pay

V. Prosecute a spouse for rape

• These include the right to
live free from violence and
discrimination; to enjoy
the highest attainable
standard of physical and
mental health
- to be educated, to own
property, to vote and to
earn an equal wage

• For many years women’s

rights movements have
fought hard to address this
inequality
Origins in the world and in the U.S.
• Women`s rights have been a global issue since ancient times

- China- foot binding

- Rome- could not vote, hold office, serve in millitary
- Athens- not even considered citizens

• Even in the Enlightlenment, philosophers did not support equal rights for genders
• The first women`s rights convenction- Seneca Falls, NY
- primary goal = right to vote

• December 10, 1869, Wyoming passed the first women`s suffrage law

• The 19th Amendment was added to the Constitution= granting women the right
to vote

• The movement has progressed to fight for much more than the right to vote
 The Seneca Falls Convention

• In Seneca Falls, New York 1848, the first women’s convention was held

• Hundreds of activists, women and men came together to discuss the

problems with women’s rights and to come up with ways to achieve equality

• The Declaration of Sentiments was created and was a written document

that outlined the rights that women should have been entitled to as citizens
 Women Who
Fought for the
Vote
• Susan B. Anthony
• Alice Paul
• Elizabeth Cady
Stanton
• Lucy Stone
• Ida B. Wells
• Frances E.W. Harper
• Mary Church Terrell
The Movement
• The US Constitution failed to grant women the right to vote
• Activists came together to advocate equal rights and treatment

• Activists explained that women were there own beings

• Women held their own ideas, political identities and deserved the
right to vote
• Susan B. Anthony, Frances E.W. Harper, Lucy Stone and many others fought
and struggled with achieving the same rights and advancements as men
• Race still played a factor in who was included in advocacy and the fight for
equality

• Two rival organizations that focused on women’s suffrage merged together

to create one organization called the National American Woman Suffrage
Association- Elizabeth Cady Stanton was the 1st president

• Women’s suffrage activists began campaigning, showed up to polling

stations attempting to vote, filed lawsuits when they were rejected and
organized other strategies to achieve suffrage universally
• The 19th Amendment, was finally ratified August 18th 1920
• Women of color were not able to vote until 1965

• The aftermath of the Women’s Rights Movement allowed the women who were
granted this right the ability to achieve greater and valuable roles in society

• This opened doors for educational opportunities, economic and job

opportunities and prominent roles in society that were not held before

• In 1893 New Zealand became the first country to give women the right to vote
on a national level
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2CewziXoDg
Goals of Women`s Right Movement
1. Health
2. Hold public office
3. Employment
4. Fair wages
5. Education
6. Military
7. Family rights
 Sexual and Reproductive Rights
• Every woman and girl has sexual and reproductive right

• Women should be able to live without fear of gender-based violence- including

rape, forced marriage, forced pregnancy, forced abortion or forced sterilization

• Argentina- women and girls cannot make choices about their own bodies
• South Korea- highly restrictive abortion laws by the end of 2020
• Zimbabwe- risk of child marriage, economic hardship and barriers to education
• Jordan- male “guardianship” system
FRIDA KAHLO
 Was born in Mexico in 1907

When she was 6, she caught Polio

She liked art and politics, but she wanted to be a doctor

A bus accident in 1925 and Frida was badly hurt

Remembered as a feminist icon

 Women Then and Now
What has Changed and What We Still need to Fight for?
• Some regions still require significant effort

• There is much work yet to be done to advance parity among genders

it’s empowering to see advocates of woman’s rights can bring about change

• Over 60% of the world’s employed women work in the services sector

• Economic participation and political empowerment between men and women

remain wide: only 58% of the economic participation gap has been closed
• If organisations learn how to push for gender parity and recognise the
importance of giving equal opportunities= the impact can be profound

• Women’s leadership and talent have been essential to strategic decision-

making including keeping enterprises sustainable

• There is greater emotional commitment and people push harder to

succeed
 • Women are now getting power even in rural areas

• In many countries now women are the head of the state

• Education has made women independent and they are no longer

dependent on men to lead their lives

• Business laws have changed to allow more women in the workplace

and giving them a comfortable environment to work in