The role of women before the nineteenth century was limited. People based their views, outlooks, and behavior towards women because of their customary beliefs that men are more superior over women. Women were expected to stay at home and attend to household chores, bear children and take care of them while men take on roles in education, politics, business, etc.
This was about to change with women empowerment in the latter part of the nineteenth century. In the beginning, it became difficult for women to assert their rights and freedom because most of them have not gone through higher education. However, the growing disparity between the roles of men and women in society due to the advent of the industrial revolution caused the women population to unite and empower themselves in a claiming a position and a stand in society.The growing support of religious groups in their aims to revive the morals and beliefs of society inspired women to establish a women’s rights movement.
It was their ultimate aim to free women from the bonds of inequality and slavery, take on roles and impact a representation of women in religion, education, politics, businesses, etc. In addition to this, the women’s rights movement also aimed to amplify the meager income paid to female workers. In the aims to lessen or completely abolish the occurrence of prostitution, adultery, sexual assaults, and gender-related crimes, notable women in history established the temperance movement. The primary objective of the movement was to eradicate alcoholism and alcohol abuse.
Aside from these efforts, women also took part in putting an end to slavery. Even women belonging to the upper class of society involved themselves in realizing this end. This pushed women to speak up, inspire and enlighten the people into supporting their advocacy for freedom and equality. Through this, they were able to gain support from the members of the minority.
However, this also caused a confrontation between the men and women population. Men condemned them for assuming the role of the men in society through their aims to gain support from other members of society. This however did not stop the women’s rights movements from surging forward into accomplishing their goals and objectives. Women continued to educated themselves and advocate equality regardless of race, gender, financial status, etc.
They also wielded the support of minority groups and other members of society who were interested in sponsoring their advocacy.The women’s rights movements have been facing harsh judgments from traditional and conservative groups and have been struggling for acceptance and respect from society. However, the strength and determination to eradicate inequality and fight for freedom has yet again been tested by their experience in Britain. It was through this event that the women’s rights movement has become solid.
Women representatives flocked to Britain to join the international conference against slavery in the 1900’s. Each sector of society was a given a chance to talk about issues and views about slavery, however, the women representatives were not given the chance to speak and were asked to sit at the back of the hall.At this point, the women were angered and infuriated by what happened that they decided it was time for them to double their efforts in acquiring a stand in society in order to enlighten people about the issues of slavery and other issues about inequality. The first step was to conduct a women’s rights convention at Seneca Falls.
The purpose of the convention was to call on people who have experienced inequality and others who are concerned with the issues and would want to support their claims and ideologies and inform them about ways on how to attain freedom and liberty. It was also in this conference that the women who were discriminated in the conference in Britain took the opportunity to inform the people about what happened to them. After the convention, they have decided to establish several groups that would be instrumental in an organizing their aims and objectives. Several organizations, which supported their advocacy, were also established, such as the American Equal Rights Association, the National Woman Suffrage association, the American Woman Suffrage Association, among others.
Within these conventions and organizations, the concerns of women were discussed and plan of actions were developed in order to do away with the growing pains of being treated unfairly. These concerns have also been acknowledged by the constitution, including the right of women to own a property, the right to vote, and the right to have equal employment opportunities to men and the right be paid fairly and justly, among others.
