Feminism is a movement that stands for equal rights for women and men. For example: right to greater access to education, same pay for female and male, a right to plan a family or to initiate a divorce. It first appeared in 1890s, but when USA entered 1960s there was a lot of places where sexual discrimination was visible. Most of political offices were held by man, universities still limited number of female students, or in few states woman’s earnings were controlled by their husbands.
Public debate over feminism started in 1963 with publication of Betty Friedan’s manifest The Feminine Mystique. It wasn’t her first attempt to raise a discussion about women’s rights though she wasn’t first to do so.
In 1960s legislative process accelerated a little and few laws were passed. Congress passed the Equal Pay Act in 1963, and The Civil Rights Act in 1964. Both were standing against sexual (and/or racial) discrimination. In 1966 the National Organization for Women (NOW) was created to help women fight against inequalities.
Sometimes I wonder if our great-grandmothers hadn’t been fighting for their rights were would women be now? Could we make our own decision or we would have to ask for men’ permission? There are still a lot of countries were women’ rights aren’t obeyed, but I believe it will change soon.
Well, in my opinion, women’s lives are getting better and better everyday. Nowadays, some women are getting pay more than men are. I do not know the statistic on the percentage of an average pay rate per woman in the US, but I do see some women are having the potential to do men’s job.
On the harassment issue, I have to agree that harassment does happen more among women than does to men. Harassment is inevitable in every society, therefore, I do not consider harassment as part of the “equality” in this condition.
Yes,women are still facing unequal opportunities sometimes.As Paverin said,women’s salary is lower than men’s.And there are few women go into politics.I think it is because of the role of woman as a housewife has been kept for a long time.It should be given time for changes, as women used to do in the past. I agree with Malgorzata that men and women will be treated equally in all the countries and through all the areas in the world.
Even thought the Equal Pay Act had been past for almost 50 years ago, today still the average women’s wage in the U.S is less than men’s. Sexual harassment remains a common workplace hazard for women. And I believe that men still dominate U.S. political life.
Women were one of the minorities that suffered under inequality in America. Being a woman in America, I value and respect every woman who had fought for woman’s rights in American history. Indeed, if there was no woman suffrage, America might missed the female perspective in terms of social, economical, and political changes to America.