Paper Example: Origin and Development of Women's Rights in 20th Century

Gender inequality usually entails a sensitive problem that is affecting several nations across the globe. Initially, all women were treated as being inferior to men, and their fate usually relied on the main choices that men in the societies made. However, over the last years especially during the 20th Century, there are many signs of progress that have been made concerning the granting of women's rights which emphasizes that women be provided equal opportunities similar to that given to men. In the United States, women's suffrage started during the nineteenth century, and it continued into the twentieth century up to the time when there was the passing of the nineteenth amendment in 1920 which offered women with the right of participating in voting. The activists of women's rights like Susan B and Elizabeth Cady Stanton protested by articulating that the fifteenth amendment which was passed during 1869 because the change was unfair as it did not include the rights of women. Nevertheless, there are individual nations that continue suffering from the issue of gender inequality to an alarming level. As such, it is within the context above in this paper will discuss the origin and development of women's rights, especially over the 20th century.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

The social movements do not necessarily represent static entities as they can change by movement losses or gains. These losses or gains are usually wholly dependent on the social and political contexts in which they occur. After the initiation of the women's suffrage in 1920, most of the feminist activists were involved in channeling of their energy into the traditional political and legal channels necessary for effecting changes in the labor laws as well as attacking the kind of discrimination against many women in their workplace (Elsey, 2012). Additionally, the Women's Bureau that was developed during 1920 lobbied the state officials to start passing legislation, which would result in a legal prohibition of discrimination against the women in their workplace. These significant organizations did not mainly lead to agreeing on the way equality would look like as well as ways in which impartiality would be attained. Most of the movements formed to fight for the women rights were aimed at offering ways that would result to effectively ending of various types of discrimination against the women (Sneider, 2010). The equal rights amendment (ERA) was opposed through the arguement that it would result in damaging of the benefits which organized the labor that had been already made. The disagreement was seen to result in the belief characterizing the competing agendas that included the working women as having significant rights entitled to them.

The activists of women's suffrage acquired confidence, mobilized resources, developed skills, created a social movement, and learn ways of maneuvering through political processes. There women suffrage mainly identified essential tactical, strategies and rhetorical methods which would help in supporting the claim by women for voting and making a significant influence on the public opinion and it shows ways in which the movement was to become deeply connected to the contemporaneous political, economic, and social contexts (Miller, 2008). The winning of the women suffrage in America was considered as an arduous, lengthy process which needed the dedication as well as hard work of many generations of the women. Before the beginning of the civil wars in the 20th century, the majority of the activists involved were the radical pioneers who frequently were included in antislavery as well as in other change movements. Later, the advances in the education system and the development of the club movement for women were found mobilizing large population of the women in the middle class while the trade participation and wage work galvanized the women in the working class. During the early 20th century, the movement of women suffrage grew into a mass movement which effectively made use of recent publicity as well as outreach approaches. In the 20th century, women suffrage was rendered as a skillful organization, activism, and mobilization that needed building a powerful social movement and attain an extended long-sought objective.

Suffrage for the non-elite white men was limited in many nations as it became the norm in America during the period of civil wars when the women, as well as the individuals of color, became considered as being deficient in analytical capabilities and for independent judgment that was crucial for attaining responsible citizenship. The women suffrage challenged legal principles that entailed coverture that subsumed the married women's economic and political identity into their husbands' (Sneider, 2010). The women suffrage fought for women rights by challenging the dominant gender responsibilities, which resulted in the confining of women into the local sphere. Moreover, many suffragists frequently linked themselves with various reformist or radical groups that promoted the demand as the fundamental right, an approach for supporting democracy or a way that was practical for gaining allies. The 19th amendment made to the constitution of the United States was ratified in the 20th century during 1920. The bill was seen as declaring that the citizens' rights in America for voting should not be abridged or denied by America or by any other nation on account of sex. The amendment mainly granted all women the right to vote by representing the pinnacle of the movement of women suffrage.

The movement of women suffrage that was initiated during the 20th century had its origin in the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention. This convention was the first to be held in the United States. Given that the suffrage of women was the primary topic that was discussed during the conference, it was not the primary goal of the movement during this early stage and the resolution of the conference demanding suffrage of women was found being the only remaining solution which was not passed in a way that was unanimous (Miller, 2008). After the ruling done by the Supreme Court, the leaders of the movement about women's right adapted other approaches that would lead to securing of the universal suffrage. Many activists started organizing the main drive meant for passing constitutional amendments that would guarantee the right of women for voting. These efforts became prosperous during the ratification of 19th amendment given that more than half of the involved states had already provided for limited voting rights to the women. The movement for women suffrage faced significant opposition. Even if the campaign for the suffrage of women was found as being well-organized and gained momentum in the early 20th century, it faced firm opponents from specific sectors of the society in the United States (Elsey, 2012). The businesses which were involved in the employment of children had the fear that women would vote for the elimination of child labor. The organizations of anti-suffrage emerged in many areas across the country to oppose the drive for the enfranchisement of the female. The activists supporting anti-suffrage were found to be not only men, but there were also women from the upper class who joined this movement by making an arguement that politics was meant t be a dirty business which would sully the spiritual and moral authority of women.

Women usually have equal and free rights for them to enjoy living their lives with much dignity, free from want, and free from fear. These rights are typically enshrined in international human rights regulation. Governments usually have national policies and laws that are set in place designed in a manner that they support the rights of women and provide protection to women against abuse. However, in most cases, women continue being discriminated against in many areas of their lives, such as having limited access to the available economic activities. This reflects a way of violation of women's rights, which is manifested through the implications of poverty. There are many signs of progress which have been made concerning the granting of the women rights which emphasizes that women be provided equal opportunities similar to that given to men. In the United States, women's suffrage started during the nineteenth century, and it continued into the twentieth century up to the time when there was the passing of the nineteenth amendment in 1920 which offered women with the right of participating in voting.

Throughout the human race history, women appear to have been degraded, chastised ad completely been controlled by male counterparts. Majority of women in the 20th century were controlled and opposed without having any room meant for retaliation (Miller, 2008). It was only during the w20th century when women were considered having made progressions that were most significant towards achieving gender equality. There were many opportunities which arose, and the women appeared to seize them grasped them and made use of them to attain their full potential. The inter-related occasions throughout the 20th century enabled women to begin progressing, and it offered the necessary pushes towards achieving gender equality. The women present in the 20th century are the ones responsible for the growth of gender equality experienced in many parts across the globe. The role that women in the 20th century undertook during World War 1, the famous feminism waves were essential turning points that were experienced during the start of the 20th century.

The start of the 20th century became extremely relevant wards proclamation of gender equality The 20th century mainly introduced all women as being essential figures in the community and that they were able making as much of their contribution to the various projects and activities just like their male counterparts. In the development of women's rights, many women joined World War 1 and assisted with the effort of the war; omen mainly combated the rights of women (Sneider, 2010). On the legal scale which resulted in sparking off the initial feminism wave. Majority of the women used to sew attires for the men participating in the war. There were also some women who worked in many factories to ensure that there was the attainment of a stable economy. The second feminism wave was viewed as being an international surge involving all the women across the globe, which supported gender equality. Many women became fed up with the conditions that were attributed to them as they strongly felt that they were being treated as citizens from second class by being rendered as lessee than men. The second feminism wave constituted of the liberation movement meant to deliver women from the oppressing conditions mainly affecting women (Elsey, 2012). Women were able to gather resources that would enable conducting of active campaigns meant for facilitating gender equality as they had the media, radio, television, and they consistently increased education and literacy rates for the women. The second feminism wave in the 20th century was meaant to act as the final push that required sealing the deal for enabling gender equality.

To conclude, during the 20th century, women and their actions were mainly indubitably the significant forces that facilitated the rise of gender equality that led to ti development of women's rights. The 20th century was considered as being the turning point for how women lived their lives. Before the 20th century, many women were denied their rights as they were confined to only being child-bearers, wives, and objects that were manipulated for the desire of men.