Women's Rights Movement - Research Paper Example

?Introduction The women’s movement is a historical road map that describes women’s suffrage that lasted for over 70 years in an attempt to champion for equal women rights and due recognition of these rights within the larger societal and constitutional framework. The feminist movement can be traced back during 1970s and its re-emergence around the 80’s when as a massive social reform movement that occurred in 1848 during the Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention in New York that focused on several women issues including voting rights; this in essence was a campaign that bore fruit around the nineteenth century with the passage of the 19th Amendment. The call for feminist rights movement for inclusion into more legal and social rights was largely as a result of the abolitionist movement that occurred prior to the Civil War. This was in itself due to the women’s realization that their slave rescue efforts were being hindered by lack of their own freedom. Several literatures have suggested that there existed a close relationship between these two occurrences. Within these developments, two organizations were subsequently initiated so that they look into issues of expanded women’s rights. Of historical significance was the “National Organization for Women” which was formed around1966 with statement of purpose to “Fight for equal rights with men” (National Organization for Women) In effect many women found solace in joining feminist organizations. There were widespread public lecture, newspaper articles, billboards, women parades and other variety of tactic that were used by these organizations in attempt to communicate the message of equality. Other authors suggest that during this 70year struggle individual campaigns and petitions were carried out in attempts to elucidate the women’s state of affairs at every level. The feminist movement draws from a series of historical, political and public campaigns and advocacy undertaken by many women suffragists to deliver the modern day American woman. The background and the Beginning: Around 1800s women’s life was characteristically quite hard. Earlier works by Lucy Stone, the founder of “American Woman Suffrage Association” asserting that most of the women during this period worked in unbearable cotton mills and associated poor living conditions with peanut pay. Women oppression was so widespread that women were never allowed opportunities to testify in court cases nor speak before a gathering. (Friedan)Within these developments, Lucy goes ahead to say that marital rights of women were limited with women being regarded as property that were owned by their husbands, and therefore, “Out of indignation at the condition of women, the suffrage movement was born. For 70years it played a leading role in great struggle to raise womankind to equality with men” with suffrage becoming the main focus of these movements. (National Organization for Women) With the first Women Convention Conference held in 1848 in New York, several declarations by the participant at the Convention called for women to be given equal opportunities and rights in issues that included education, property and right to vote. While drawing from the United States’ independence declaration, this Convention thus declared that, “We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men and women are created equal…” (National Organization for Women) though it did not escape without saying that these movements faced strong opposition from their male counterparts who still believed that women were better if they were represented by men. The Opposition Within this paradigm of increased interest to deliberate the womankind, several other opposing forces opposed the women’s quest for equality. In this situation were a mixture of complexities and personalities drawn from various societal spheres. Religion for instance was opposed to this movement arguing that the Bible recognized women’s position under a man. Strong family moralists also expressed fears that equality cause could lead to disintegration of the family given its role as a basic structural unit of society where children would go uncared for. Other influential industry owners and players including the liquor manufacturers believed that women empowerment would lead to outlaw of alcohol production and subsequent sale. The1880s also saw significant use of children in child labor to work in the mines and also a source of child labor. (Carmichael & Hamilton) To this effect industry owners expressed their fears in reduction of labor to serve in these industries. Male chauvinists also argued that women were born generally weaker beings and heckled women at their meetings and subsequently publishing anti-women equality rights. The Re-emergence The drive for equal representation of women’s rights and freedoms re-emerged around the nineteenth century with the 15th Amendment passage to the constitution which in its effect ‘gave the vote to the black men but not to any woman’ (Civil Rights Act) in a more progressive development in 1869, two women national organizations were formed to address women’s right to vote. Of historical significance was the National Women Suffrage Association which advocated for constitutional amendment to empower women to vote. Its counterpart, American Woman Suffrage Association led by Lucy Stone, was largely seen as a conservative for its efforts in encouraging states to give their votes for political aspirants that were women. Around the 1990s new radical leaders brought new spirits into championing for women rights, for instance, Carrie Chapman and Wood Park were instrumental in mobilizing support from the middle class women. Their works received tremendous support from other energetic and radical reformists including Lucy Barns and Harriot Blatch. The 19th Constitutional Amendment Historical scholars and political commentaries argue that it was the 19th Constitutional Amendment that served victory to the Feminist movement after President Wilson had declared his public support for it. At this period the unending struggle for women suffragists continued their lobbying and writings to advocate and influence recognition of women equality by the legislators. Historical dating suggest that this amendment was finally signed into law on August 24th by the Secretary of State and commonly referred to as ‘the 19th Amendment’ among advocates of women rights. (Civil Rights Act) Conclusion This paper has highlighted on the numerous attempts by women suffragists in attempt to deliberate and advocate for women rights. With this paper significant efforts have been made to prove the historical, political and social framework that successfully deliberated the American woman towards constitutional equality as regards to property, voting rights, marital rights, social recognition among other issues that dominated the period before the American Civil War Read More