Women's Right Movement

Women's Rights Movement

Today, women play many important roles in society. They work as CEOs, lawyers, inventors, scientists, doctors, professors, and even presidents. They can do almost anything that men do. However, until recently, women couldn't do many things because they were not men. In America, women didn't have the right to vote until the early 20th century. They couldn't have a job outside home. They couldn't own any house or land. They couldn't even go to college or university.

For a long time, women had to depend on men for almost everything. Some women were far more intelligent and creative than men. But they couldn't do anything but to raise children or do house chores. They had to follow their husband's orders. If they were hired for some type of housework or farm work, they often got paid much less than men. This long tradition began to change in the middle of the 19th century. In 1848, an American woman named Elizabeth Stanton stood up for women's rights. Elizabeth was just a young housewife and mother, but she was very brave. She formed a small group of friends in New York and started the first women's rights movement in history.

Many women strongly believed that they were equal to men. After the first women's movement by Elizabeth, more and more women joined the fight for freedom and

equality. There were many great activists, who helped make a difference in women's life. For example, Susan B. Anthony fought to give women the right to vote. She made proposals to congress over and over. Women's rights movements in America had a huge effect around the world. Finally in 1948, the United Nations announced a charter for women. It read women should be given the rights to vote and to be elected for public office.