women Rights

Women Rights

Womens rights came about because it is generally thought by womens rights groups that women do not have the same entitlements as men, and a cause was needed to bring this to the attention of the public, and bring about change regarding it. Although, some cultures (such as Islam) have for some time seen women as equal in many respects to men, and others even trace their ancestry through the females (such as in many North American Indian tribes and ancient cultures, many of whom have since died out). However it has only been through various movements in Western society that the roles of women have been elevated anywhere near to that of men, and some consider that these movements still have a way to go.
One of the most important womens rights movements was that of the suffrage – or, the movement designed to bring about voting rights for women. Members of this movement were called ‘suffragettes’ or ‘suffragists’. The movement began in the 1700s in France, and was comprised mainly of women from upper and middle class society. They carried out actions seen undertaken nowadays by many protestors – including hunger strikes and bombings. One suffragette died when she stepped in front of a horse at the Epsom Derby. World War I’s lack of men meant women filled some of the war roles traditionally filled by males, and this helped their cause somewhat.
New Zealand led the charge by granting women the right to vote in 1893. South Australia, while still a colony, in 1894. In the U.S.A. women attained the right to vote in 1920 – in the U.K., 1928. Interestingly, in South Africa black women only gained the right to vote in 1994. In Saudi Arabia, women are still not allowed to vote.
Women respect the rights of others, and only wish to have the same rights themselves. For example (along with the right to vote) the right to equality in the workforce, with respect to religious beliefs, and education are just some of the rights women are still fighting for in many parts of the world. In some Western countries, equality in certain areas has only come lately – for example, in Canada it was only in 1960 that women were granted the right to stand for election without any conditions applied. In many other countries, females are still classed as second class citizens with little or no rights.
It is these practices that women’s rights are determined to change.