1

Feminism: How it has changed over the years

Noemi Villa
Historical paper
Paper Length: 1,168 word count

Feminism has evolved greatly throughout time. In the 1800s, women fought for more rights. In 2017, women are fighting to not have their

rights taken away, such as abortion. This is how womens concerns have changed over the years. Regardless, women have always been seen

as inferior to men. Many people seem to ignore the fact that women are not equal to men and that women are not given as much rights. Many

people do not see it as unfair, rather they see it as culture or as a way of life. There have been many protests and conventions regarding

womens rights and while women have made progress, they are still not equal to men. In 1848, the first womens rights gathering was held in

Seneca Falls and it was the event that set forth the womens rights movement.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a big figure as a womens activist in the 1800s. [1]She and Lucretia Mott organized a convention to talk about

the social, civil, and religious conditions of women. The convention was held on two separate days. The first day was for women exclusively

and it was on July 19, 1848.The second day was available for the public the following day. Both conventions were held in Seneca Falls. This
 2
event was important in history because it was the first meeting ever held regarding this topic and it created a movement which changed the

way women lived their lives. This event also effected women in the future as we are given a lot more rights than we were before. It also spread

awareness and got the worlds attention.

In 1848, women were concerned because they wanted more rights. While this is still the case today, our concerns are more focused on trying

to keep the rights we have. [2]Women are concerned today because president Donald Trump said he would take away abortion rights for

women. This is a big concern because many women feel that they should have control over their own bodies and be able to do whatever they

want with them. Another issue women are concerned about today is that women to not get paid as much as men do in the same job. In 1848,

women fought for rights such as the right to vote.

This years theme was Taking a stand. My theme fits with the theme of the history fair because the thing feminists are doing is taking a stand

by trying to improve living for women. A reason why I believe this is important is because I believe all humans should be treated equally. It

should not matter what gender or race we are. This also seems to be an issue today. We see racism everywhere, including in our own

president. While that is a different issue, it is fairly similar to the issue with women rights. People may argue that women do get respect and

that women are treated fairly. Women do get treated a lot better today compared to back then, but we are not 100% equal to men, and I

believe this should be a concern for everyone. [3]As G.D Anderson said Feminism is not about making women stronger, women are already

strong. It is about changing the way the world perceives that strength. Many people may think that men are better than women because they

are stronger, faster, and seem to be more capable of holding higher job positions. I think people do not realize how capable women really are.

A lot of the worlds most important inventions were overlooked because they were made by women. While women may not seem as strong as

men physically or emotionally, we actually are. Women have to go through many things that prove that they are strong for example pregnancy.

They also have to learn how to be a mother, and while men also become parents, women are often the main caretakers of their home and

children. In some cultures, women are seen as objects. Men can never fully understand what it is like to be a woman and why we want to be
 3
equal to men. [4]Malala Yousafzai once said We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back. Another quote from Chimamanda Ngozi

Adichie said [5]The problem with gender is that it prescribes how we should be, rather than recognizing how we are. Everything has

stereotypes. Some stereotypes for women include weak, small, girly, beauty gurus, emotional and so much more. We also see these

stereotypes portrayed in television, movies, stories, books, stores and many other places. Women are expected to attain certain attributes and

look certain ways to be accepted in society and if they are different in any way, they are not accepted. Some women feel obligated to follow

societys views of how women should be or should not be. This can stop women from gaining all the power and strength they are really

capable of. They way women are treated does not just affect women. Men and women are made for each other. They are made to help and

complete each other. They are made to stand side by side each other and conquer the world together. Imagine a perfect world where

everyone is equal and there is no hate. If a world like that ever existed, we could all accomplish so much more together. It does not matter how

we look or where we were born, we are all humans and we should be helping each other to make our world a better place. A quote from a

women activist, Lucy Stone says I believe that the influence of woman will save the country before every other power.

Feminism has changed greatly throughout history. There were periods where women were able to hold a lot of power and where they were

treated with so much respect. There were also periods where women were looked down upon and were irrelevant in society. Feminism has

always existed. Feminism is a range of movements and ideologies that share a common goal: to define, establish, and achieve equal political,

economic, cultural, personal, and social rights for women. This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in education and

employment. A feminist advocate or supports the rights and equality of women. Without it, women would have never been able to reach the

point where they are now. Women are important. Without women, there would not even be able to be life because women are the ones who

are capable of giving birth. Women have always and will always play an important world in the history of this world. This is how feminism has

changed over the course of time and why it is important that we pay attention to it and make not just women, but make everyone equal.

Bibliography:
 4
Quotesgram.com Https://www.aclu.org/blog/speakeasy/defending-womens-rights-past-present-and-futures
www.buzzfeed.com https://womenshistory.about.com/od/feminismsuffragerights/a/what-are-womens-rights.htm
Vikingomiron.blogspot.com https;//www.nps.gov/won/learn/historyculture/report-of-the-womens-rights-convention.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/women%27s_rights https://storify.com/

https://www.infoplease.com/ womenshistory.about.com

www.goodreads.com www.huffingtonpost.com

Flavorwire.com blogs.bu.edu

https://www.dukeupress.edu/ pintrest.com

www.sheknows.com

[1] https;//www.nps.gov/won/learn/historyculture/report-of-the-womens-rights-convention.htm
[2] Https://www.aclu.org/blog/speakeasy/defending-womens-rights-past-present-and-futures
[3] www.buzzfeed.com
[4] Quotesgram.com
[5] Vikingomiron.blogspot.com