Feminism

How did the extraordinary process get launched in the 19^th century?

v     European Enlightenment challenged many ancient traditions

v     French reveloution raised the possibility of re-creating human societies on new foundations

v     Women participated in these events suggesting that revolutionary ideals of liberty and equality must include women

v     Declaration of women’s rights”…discover your rights”

v     Taking part in temperance movements, charities, abolitionism, missionary work, socialist and pacifist organizations, active trade unionists

v     Started to view women as individuals with rights equal to men

v     Refused to take husbands’ surname and wore trousers under skirts

v     Womens’ movements in the West focused on suffrage

v     National American Woman suffrage Association claimed 2 billion members

v     British women’s social and political organized a campaign of violence that included blowing up railroad stations, slashing works of art, and smashing department store windows

v     Beginning of the 20^th century the movement became a mass movement

v     1900-woman gained entrance to universities, literacy rates were growing steadily

v     manage and control their own property and wages

v     divorce laws were liberalized                               

v     medicine opened to a few and teaching as well

v     Jane Addams invented social work

v     New Zealand became the first country to give the vote to all adult women, everywhere else it was not achieved until after world war 1

v     Slower progress in politics

v     Writers, journalists addressed taboo sexual topics---homosexuality and birth control

Cons of woman having equal rights:

v     Serious reproductive damage

v     Depopulate the nation

v     Seen as selfish

v     Willing to sacrifice family to pursue individual goals