Women Rights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Women Rights - Research Paper Example Before 1877, it was unthinkable for a woman to leave her house and cater to issues concerning work or politics. Women’s roles were strictly those of taking care of their families at home. It has taken along battle characterized with hard work and determination for the women of today to enjoy the same rights as men. Since the beginning of the contemporary world, a woman has had a unique role in society: that of being a source of human life. Nonetheless, historically, women have been seen as inferior to men, intellectually, physically, sexually, and otherwise. In addition, women are always associated with evil and temptation, a notion possibly derived from the biblical scriptures of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. For instance, early Roman laws viewed women as children, while the Greek mythology suggests that it was a woman (Pandora) who brought unhappiness and plague to humankind by opening the forbidden box1. Before 1800s, women could not own property, vote, get equal educ ation as men, or get involved in political issues. Some of the early female philosophers include Olympe de Gouges with the publication ‘declaration of women rights’ protesting against the failure of revolutionists in mentioning women in their declaration of human rights. There was Margret Fuller, a female reporter who wrote the article ‘Women in the Nineteenth century’ around 1845. The leader of women rights in America, Elizabeth Candy Stanton, was a major figure in the women rights movement. In addition, there was also Charlotte Perkins Gilham, Clara Barton among others2. The first known women rights movement began in 13, July 18483. A tea conversation between Elizabeth Candy Stanton and other four women friends turned to women issues, with emphasis on women’s roles in the American Revolution and their then lack of freedom4. This afternoon conversation was the first group of women fighting for their rights, and the first to organize specific, extens ive programs that called for review of women rights in America. Two days after the formation of the small group, they had set a date for their first convention. The location of choice was the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, setting the date to 19 and 20, July 1848. The Seneca County Courier carried the announcement for the convention. This was the first ever-public meeting of its king in western civilization. According to these women, they were patriotic members of the society trying to share the ideas that would improve the new republic by heeding the promise of providing a more egalitarian life for all its citizens. As the women were preparing and waiting for the first convention, Elizabeth Candy Stanton was applying the Declaration of Independence framework to design the â€Å"Declaration of Sentiments† for the women rights movement. In complete resemblance to the important American symbol of liberty, Stanton was able to connect the Declaration of Independence to the figh t for women’s rights. Stanton’s draft carefully listed a number of areas where women were most treated unjustly, eighteen in number. The words that Stanton used to express women grievances were strong words expressing large grievances but nonetheless filling the American atmosphere with the hope of a bright future for women. The two days convention began on July 19, 1848, and was successful. The discussions at the convention resulted in several major endorsements of the declarations of sentiments and twelve resolutions with a few amendments. Among the resolutions were the rights to equal laws, and equal job and education opportunities. The only two resolutions that failed to pass were the women’s right to vote in elections and their enfranchisement. Despite their grievances and achievements on the convention,