||Since the first American colonies existed, women|||have been characterized for having less civil rights|||with less career opportunities than men. For many|||years women have been fighting to enjoy their own|||rights. Women have raised their voices to demand|||their full civil and political rights. Women have|||had to overcome many economic, political, and even |||social obstacles created by men just to be treated |||in an equal way in the American society. ||||||Generally, the women? lives have been characterized |||for being women full of struggles, obstacles and|||pain.
That is why women decided to demand their own |||rights through their vote. Which their vote will|||symbolize the expression of their rights and voices |||in the face of the American society. The first|||obstacle that women had to overcome was to get their|||right to vote. It was an obstacle because women|||without vote married women did not have a legal|||voice in the face of the government. During the|||early history of the United States, a man owned his |||wife and children as they were any material of his |||possessions. For example if a poor man decided to|||drop his children to the poorhouse, the children?|||mother was unable to defense her children (Women?|||International Center 2).
||||||They are some of several obstacles in the old |||American society. However these obstacles came from |||the traditional society custom. The traditional|||roles for women were to raise children and just to |||become a wife and a mother. Even thought it is hard |||to understand that motherhood and wifehood were the |||most significant professions that women could have |||(Women? International Center 1).
Women could not|||enter most professions. Women had to overcome the|||obstacle regarding educational areas. To be more|||specific a daily life of a girl of 19-years-old was |||to be sitting for hours sewing gloves in the company|||of other women, working for low wages, with no|||aspiration, with no hope of going on in school or|||even owning any kind of property. In fact, if she|||decided to marry, her children and even the clothes |||on her body would belong to her husband (Clinton|||35).
Women had to study traditional areas like|||writing or teaching (Women? International Center 3) |||and if they study those untraditional disciplines|||like medicine, economic or law, they will considered|||odd (Kreeps 35). This obstacle is more than an|||obstacle it is a limitation for the women?|||development. ||||||?orking women often faced discrimination on the|||mistaken belief that, they were married or would|||most likely get married; they would not be permanent|||workers?(Women? International Center 3). The women |||working in some ?en? professions and jobs?(Women?|||International Center 2), caused an huge economic|||obstacle in the American society because if a woman |||that worked in a same job than a men, women were|||paid about 45 percent less than men for the same|||jobs (Barko 43). In the American society was a lot |||of limitation in the areas of career opportunities. |||However, in the United States during the World War |||II almost 300,000 women served in the Army and Navy,|||working as secretaries, typists, and nurses (Women? |||International Center 3).
It was a big step for women|||in the labor area because in 1989, women were part |||of a 45 percent of employed persons in the United|||States, but they had only a small participation in |||the decision-making jobs (Women? International|||Center 3). ||||||Women could not decide how many children they would |||like to have. Families had, on average seven |||children to take care. Many women died in|||childbirth, and many others did not see their own|||children grow into adulthood (Costello 25). Abortion|||was also a political and, social obstacle because|||both the government and the church did not agree|||this idea.
Women did not have the right to control |||even their own body, specially the right to control |||their own sexual reproduction (Eisenberg 5). |||Limitations on a woman? rights included the|||inability to establish a legal identity separate|||from that of her husband, to control her|||reproductive capacity, to sue or be sued, to own|||property in her own name, or to pursue a career of |||her choice (Jarvis, 150). The inability of taking|||the control of their own reproduction was a huge|||obstacle for women because women with a lot of|||children could not work; they had to take care of|||their babies. And these women with babies become|||dependable of their husbands simply because their|||husbands bring the money to home.
|||The status of women under the law began to change|||once women began to organize for their political|||rights and voting for policies that were in their|||interests (Jarvis 151-52). If Women did not have the|||right to vote, they could not express themselves|||through it, they would not have the respect that|||they deserve. After women recognized all of these|||kinds of obstacles, women decided to stop the |||unfairness treatment for them. |||The awakening of women began with the visit to|||America of Frances Wright’scottish lecturer and|||journalist?ho promoted women? rights through the|||United States during the 1800s (From Revolution to |||Reconstruction. ).
Women realized that they should|||fight for their own rights. In the 1840s a group of |||American women got together to began to demand for |||the Women? Rights Movement (Eisenberg 1-2). This|||group was lead by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and |||Lucretia Mott which they organized the first Women |||convention at Seneca Falls, New York. The convention|||was a declaration to demand their equality with men |||to the eyes of the law, the right to vote, and equal|||opportunities in education and employment (Eisenberg|||1-2). ||||||Getting the right to vote at the convention at the |||Seneca Falls was the first women? obstacle overcame. |||However, in the same year, Ernestine Rose, a Polish |||immigrant, was the key for getting a law passed in |||the State of New York that allowed married women to |||own their property rights which this helped to|||declare the Married Women? Property Act (From |||Revolution to Reconstruction.
). Thanks to these|||declarations today the things had been changed|||because women now can own any kind of property. And |||they not only vote but vote in larger numbers than |||men (Costello 25). ||||||According to Juanita M. Kreps in her article, ?n|||time several major social changes altered women?|||lives dramatically.
More and more women?ncluding|||married and single women and those with and without |||young children?oined the labor force. And Education |||and training opportunities for women expand a little|||more. ?Through the declaration of the women? civil|||rights, now they can live a life without sex |||discrimination which also was an obstacle overcame. |||Today, sex discrimination had been prohibited by the|||federal and state law, in employment, education and |||housing (American Civil Liberties Union). Now most |||of the professions are open to women, although the |||?lass ceiling?is still a barrier to women?|||development in their jobs (Costello 25) because the |||opportunities exist but those are really hard to|||reach for women. ||||||Now most American have to assume that the legal|||status of women in the United Stated today is so|||well established that it is not subject to|||significant challenges.
At the end of the twentieth |||century, the status of women in U. S. society was|||getting a tremendous change. In recent years, the|||opinions relating to a women? right to control her |||reproductive process, and equal level to educational|||opportunities have dominated the public discussion.
|||Looking toward the next century, it is clear that|||legal issues concerning the status of American women|||including their personal lives, at school, in the|||workplace, and at the ballot box will continue to|||have a significant impact on women? ability to|||succeed in the aspect of global economy (Jarvis|||153). ||||||Today? women are very different from the Colonial|||times even socially, politically, and economically. |||Now women can vote and express their voices through |||it. And actually women vote in larger numbers than |||men.
However, how we can explain in the history of |||this country we have not experienced the time of|||having a woman as a President of the United States. |||||||||Now many educational and jobs opportunities exist on|||an equal level for women and men. The right of|||abortion, while still under attack, is guaranteed by|||the Constitution. As a result of these obstacles,|||women today participate in all aspect of society on |||a more equal basis than ever before.|
