WOMEN’S MOVEMENT BY: SAMRAH WASEEM

WHAT WAS IT? Women’s movement refers to a series of campaigns for reforms on issues such as reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, women's suffrage, sexual harassment, and sexual violence, all of which fall under the label of feminism.

How women’s were treated BEFORE: Women were not allowed to vote Women had to submit to laws when they had no voice in their formation Married women had no property rights Husbands had legal power over and responsibility for their wives to the extent that they could imprison or beat them with impunity Women had to pay property taxes although they had no representation in the levying of these taxes Most occupations were closed to women and when women did work they were paid only a fraction of what men earned Women were not allowed to enter professions such as medicine or law Women had no means to gain an education since no college or university would accept women students With only a few exceptions, women were not allowed to participate in the affairs of the church Women were robbed of their self-confidence and self-respect, and were made totally dependent on men

THE THREE WAVES Feminism began in the western world in the late 19th century and has gone through three waves. First-wave: Feminism was oriented around the station of middle- or upper-class white women and involved suffrage and political equality. Second-wave : Feminism attempted to further combat social and cultural inequalities. Third-wave: Feminism is continuing to address the financial, social and cultural inequalities and includes renewed campaigning for greater influence of women in politics and media.

WHO? Lucy Burns (1879 – 1966) was an American suffragist and women's rights advocate Susan B. Anthony :(1820-1906) - prominent civil rights leader, played a pivotal role in the 19th century women's rights movement to introduce women's suffrage into the United States Alice Stone Blackwell :(1857–1950) - feminist and journalist, editor of the Woman's Journal, a major women's rights publication Antoinette Brown Blackwell (1825–1921) - founded American Woman Suffrage Association with Lucy Stone in 1869 Henry Browne Blackwell (1825-1909) - businessman, abolitionist, journalist, suffrage leader and campaigner Amelia Bloomer (1818–1894) - suffragist, publisher and editor of The Lily, advocated for many women's issues Helen Gurley Brown (1922–2012) - Author of Sex and the Single Girl, longtime editor of Cosmopolitan; advocated for women's self-fulfillment through personal achievement Lucy Burns (1879–1966) - suffragist and women's rights activist Jacqueline Ceballos - feminist and founder of Veteran Feminists of America Betty Friedan (1921 – 2006) was an American writer, activist, and feminist.

WHEN ? The woman suffrage movement actually began in 1848, when the first women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York. For the next 50 years, woman suffrage supporters worked to educate the public about the validity of woman suffrage. Under the leadership of Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and other women’s rights pioneers, suffragists circulated petitions and lobbied Congress to pass a Constitutional Amendment to enfranchise women. (19th amendment).

WHY ? External forces and internal needs shaped women’s participation in the workforce during the 1950s. During the first half of the decade shortages in professions traditionally populated by women (like nursing, teaching, social work, stenography, and typing) drove employment agencies to recruit single and married women to help fill vacant posts. Additionally, as married couples moved to the suburbs and filled their homes with the latest appliances women often pursued work to allow their family to live in the manner they felt they deserved.

MAJOR MOVEMENTS In the 20th century leadership of the suffrage movement passed to two organizations. The first, the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), under the leadership of Carrie Chapman Catt, was a moderate organization. The NAWSA undertook campaigns to enfranchise women in individual states, and simultaneously lobbied President Wilson and Congress to pass a woman suffrage Constitutional Amendment. In the 1910s, NAWSA’s membership numbered in the millions. The second group, the National Woman’s Party (NWP), under the leadership of Alice Paul, was a more militant organization. The NWP undertook radical actions, including picketing the White House, in order to convince Wilson and Congress to pass a woman suffrage amendment.

CONTINUED: The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization founded in 1966. The statement described the purpose of NOW as "To take action to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of American society now, exercising all privileges and responsibilities thereof in truly equal partnership with men”. NOW sought to apply pressure to employers, local governments, and the federal government to uphold anti-discrimination policies. Through litigation, political pressure, and physical marches, NOW members held an authoritative stance leading to recognition in court cases.

CONTINUED: The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal rights for women. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman. In 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time. In 1972, it passed both houses of Congress and went to the state legislatures for ratification. Through 1977, the amendment received 35 of the necessary 38 state ratifications.

TACTICS AND TECHNIQUES The women’s movement effectively commanded the attention of politicians and the public through its aggressive agitation, relentless lobbying, clever publicity stunts, and creative examples of civil disobedience and nonviolent confrontation. Its tactics were versatile and imaginative. Traditional lobbying and petitioning were a mainstay of women’s movement members, but these activities were supplemented by other more public actions–including parades, pageants, street speaking, and demonstrations. The party eventually realized that it needed to escalate its pressure and adopt even more aggressive tactics. Most important among these was picketing the White House over many months, leading to the arrest and imprisonment of many suffragists.

SIGNIFICANCE The feminist movement has effected change in American society, including women's suffrage; greater access to education; more equitable pay with men; the right to initiate divorce proceedings; the right of women to make individual decisions regarding pregnancy (including access to contraceptives and abortion); and the right to own property. Feminism reduced domestic violence, especially against men as their likelihood of being killed by a female intimate partner has decreased six-fold. They began to enter male dominated professions like law, medicine, clergy and corporate. Also women initiated a bunch of new institutions which shows a great impact of women’s movement in American society.

http://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/the-fight-for-womens-suffrage