Feminism before the 20th Century Essay - 2095 Words

Feminism before the 20th Century For generations, women had been subjected to men. Women had no saying in what was going on around them, to what they wanted their lives to be, or even when it came to their bodies. Many women have raised their voices to protest against this subjugation, sometimes at great personal risk. Such is the French case of Marie Gouze(1748-93), who under the name Olympe de Gouges, wrote Declaration of the Rights of Women and Citizen. In this document Marie advocated for civic equality, as well as equal participation in political rights, womens right to vote, and equal education. She presented this document to Marie Antoinette in 1789. Unfortunately, the proposal was rejected and Marie was condemned to the†¦show more content†¦New opportunities were opening up for women, but equality in the work place was far from being achieved. Women were mostly hired for seasonal, or temporary jobs, and were very underpaid. Even labor union kept women out, because their standards would go down by letting such underpaid workers, as women were. When it came to security, womens jobs were the most insecure. They where the first to go, if there was the need to fire employees. So throughout the 20th century women continued fighting to archive equality in the work place. In 1933 the National Industrial Recovery Act, which designed measure to expand employment opportunities and safeguard jobs, was passed and with it women benefit from wage raise, shortest working hours, and a number of employment opportunities. However the fight continued since this provision only applied to the areas of trade and industry, so women working as clerks or domestic where not cover. Women saw a great payoff when the National Labor Relations Board was founded, since it gave women workers, specially textile workers, the right to deal as a collective for better wages, and working conditions. An even better reward for this continuous fight was the Equal Pay Act, which established equal pay for men and women for the same kind of job, and prohibited discrimination practices against women. This act was further broader withShow MoreRelatedLiberal, Conservative, and Socialist Ideals vs. Feminism Before the 20th Century2177 Words   |  9 PagesSocialist Ideals vs. Feminism before the 20th Century   Tales from the beyond, story one: a parent binds his baby girls feet in China, so it will not grow more than five to six inches because small feet in women are a sign of elegance; story two: a wife is burned alive in India, so she can accompany her husband in death. Are these stories? No, things like this really happened in the past. They are part of the reason that contributed to the birth of the Womens Movement in the 19th century. This movementRead MoreThe First Wave Of Women950 Words   |  4 Pageswhom have influenced and helped spread change for feminism. 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