Blog 3

September 13, 2009 maxwae01

Ironically in my World History in the Twentieth Century class we discussed the inequality of women to men in the early nineteenth century to the twentieth century, and the first steps in feminism. We studied three articles in which illustrated the mistreatment and inequality to women. An Address to Two Hundred Million Fellow Countrywomen restated how Qui Jin addressed the women of China explaining the issues facing them. She enlightened the crowd that their husbands and even fathers, due to the mere fact that they were female, mistreated girls in China. They would bind young girls feet so that they could not grow. This would leave the female semi crippled, demonstrating that women do not have to work. She than declared to the women in which she addressed, “why is there no justice for women?”

 One document, Present Addresses at the Conventions of National American Women Suffrage Association 1905 by Anna Howard Shaw, provides a statement from the President at the time Theodore Roosevelt. Although he was a supporter of equal rights, he favored “equality in difference.” “Men should run for the government, manage a businesses, and earn a living; women should marry, become mothers, and raise children.” Also stated in one of his many speeches, Shaw provides us with his exact words, “women who out of viciousness, coldness, shallow heartedness, or self-indulgence; neglected their duty to raise a family. The existence of women of this type was one of the most unpleasant and unwholesome features in modern life.”

 Reading these documents only reinforced my appreciation for all the women and men who fought and fight in the women rights movements. All though it may not be perfect, I still can say that I as a woman I am much more privileged. Although we are still fighting for equality in the United States, due to the first document stated, I believe we should be fighting harder of equality of all women across the world.

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