Written by: Mariem Kamal
Edited by: Pallas Shen
The problem of gender inequality remains to be one of the most trying issues of our time. Men and women over the past few centuries can also easily say the same. The only difference is, we are much much farther along today than ever before. That does not mean we do not have a long way to go; however. Oftentimes it is important to look at our past in order to better understand our present and our future. Let’s take a look at some defining moments in the history of gender equality.
Perhaps the most notable beginning of any sort of feminist movement was Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindictation of the Rights of Woman, published in 1792. Her book focused on equal education, but also gender equality in general, such as in politics and in the workplace. Her core belief centered around this quote; “I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves”, which acknowledges a key component of the gender equality movement; everyone, regardless of gender identity, deserves to be treated equally.
Countries such as France and the United States wrote that “all men are created equal”, yet this has not been the case for the majority of history. Although Wollstonecraft always resided in England, many of her profound ideas reflected the patriarchal systems of countries all over the world, both before and after publishing her book.
Almost a century after Wollstonecraft’s writings, the Seneca Falls Convention was held in 1848. This convention in the state of New York allowed both men and women to come together to discuss the rights of women in all aspects of life. Some notable attendees included Frederick Douglass, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and more. Even so, the first country to grant women the right to vote was New Zealand, and this law was not even passed until 1893, while men with enough standing in most countries have been able to vote for decades and decades.
In 1890, prominent feminists Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed the National American Woman Suffrage Association. These women went through their fair share of trials and tribulations, especially because they were in times where women were looked down upon for wanting equality. Nonetheless, in 1920, the 19th Amendment in the United States gave American women the right to vote, making America around the 20th country to do so.
Suffrage, or the right to vote, has become one of the most key components in civil rights as a whole. So many minorities, such as women in most countries and people of colour in the United States, were neglected of this privilege despite their white, male counterparts being able to vote. Therefore it is no surprise that the fight for women’s suffrage has been a long treacherous road, and why this achievement is so heavily acknowledged and appreciated today.
Without women such as Amelia Earhart, Margaret Thatcher, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, or Marie Curie, we as a society would not be in the place we are today when it comes to gender equality. In order to progress the gender equality movement forward, we must learn from these phenomenal people and make them proud.
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