Legalization of birth control fight in the early 1900s - Term Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages Margaret was the pioneer in the movement of birth control. This was the time when she voiced her opinions on the contraception and their advantages when they had become illegal. Early in the twentieth century, there was a heavy toll of sickness and premature deaths noticed among the working class women who got pregnant and were made to work in the poor working conditions in the working neighborhood of New York State. Margaret raised her voice against the illegalization of contraception and said that a step should be taken for the prevention of repeated pregnancies (Tobin 1901-1937) . She worked under Havelock Ellis after travelling to Europe and got extensive training on the human sexuality. After she returned to United States, she launched a program where she gave better access to family planning information to the women who were expecting babies and later starting mailing the birth control pamphlets to her clients. Since she was using U.S mail, therefore in the year 1916, she got arrested as well as her clinic which gave assistance on birth control measures was located in Brooklyn. With her controversial books and pamphlets, she started off her program on educating women on family planning. She wrote many of the books and pamphlets and one of them was What Every Girl Should Know (1913). This was a detailed book which gave answers to the unasked questions such as girlhood, puberty, sexual impulse, reproduction and the diseases which can be potentially transferred. She gave very vague but never clear ideas that what can be done to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. However, she became quite a controversial lady in the eyes of the medical leaders and the nursing professionals when she raised her voice on a taboo topic such as the masturbation. But since she had an enlightened attitude, therefore she carried on with her and her concentration. In the year 1923, she successfully opened a family planning clinician New York and later on arranged conferences which were held on the international and national level, discussing the family planning issues. National Committee on Federal Legislation for Birth was found by her and she became the President of the committee until the breakup of the committee after the federal birth control legislation enactment in 1937 (Sanger n.p.). She was a brave woman who inspired women all over the work and she discussed the need of birth control through a number of conferences held in many parts of the world. She travelled to Africa, Europe to spread more awareness on the issue and established many clinics world wide as well. For centuries, women have fought in the society for their own rights. Anything that they have wanted to themselves, they always had to earn it through fight and perseverance. Just like Margaret Sanger, history show many women who have stood up for the rights of the women and these social activists made innumerable contribution to the women history. Right over birth control is not the only issue that they had to deal with, infact, right to vote, and right to work with equal opportunities were few of the many issues for which they fought and stood up against for. It is very important to realize that a woman has a right over her body and by right over it is meant, that she should have the right to decided that when does she want a baby in her life. Until the year 1914, women of ...Download file to see next pagesRead More