History Through a Feminist Lens

by Monique

Do women in America have the same rights as men? According to our constitution, we do. In reality, though, we find that there are bigger barriers we cannot always cross. Over the years, women have had fought to ensure equal rights between both genders. If you look real closely you'll see that we don't have the promised equality. Even when the law says we are entitled to equality, social norms prove that we are really not that equal.

Men have had more rights than men throughout the history of our nation. Early on, men always told women what to do. The women were told what jobs they could and could not have (often not getting equal pay in the process). They were usually forced to stay at home as a stay at home mom and watch over the kids and house. We can't guess how much they would have "earned" to do that job, but the hours would certainly be higher than most men's jobs. Many of the men were perfectly happy with this arragement. On the other hand, the women were not okay with this. Some women would have gladly stayed at home, but they yearned for the right to make that decision.

With this reality seemingly set in stone, many women fought to chip away at the stone. Although growth was slowly, they succeeded in eventually procuring our rights. For example, Susan B. Anthony contributed to the cause of women's suffrage, helping women to get the right to vote. She was one of the countless feminists who fought for women's rights. Although her face is famous, there were thousands (perhaps millions) of women who joined protests and demanded equality. They fought to ensure simple rights, like the chance to avoid abuse, inherit land, get a divorce, maintain childhood custody and have equal wages.

Although we have made progress, it is still not enough. In many instances, men still get jobs because of informal connections when female candidates are just as qualified. Many men still hold onto the view that they are of more importance than women. In reality, neither gender is more important. Yet, women still face an invisible barrier that says, "you can't succeed" in jobs that require math and science. Or consider politics. Just look. Every president has been a man. Although we can elect a minority, we still have not made progress in terms of gender. How else could you explain that there is still less than half of Congress who are women and currently only one Supreme Court Justice is a woman. Yes, we're getting somewhere, but we're getting there very slowly.

Even though women have gained rights over the years, they still hanve't gotten all the rights they deserve. Men still wield their power in the guise of "knowing what is right." A culture of machismo still rules in many parts of America. This is a reality that we must face. There is a lot we can do to become equal and gain the rights we deserve. Women don't just have to sit back and take what is handed to them. They can fight to prove that men and women should be equal.

Photo Credit
Flickr Creative Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/looking4poetry/2319465610/