The First-Wave Of Feminism In The 19th Century

Nearly a century ago on August 18, 1920 women were granted the right to vote; a major step towards gender equality, and the start of the first-wave of feminism. Feminism, put in the most simplest form, is a belief that political, social and economical equality should exist amongst both genders, and was organized on behalf of women's rights, common issues and interests. The first-wave of feminism – which occurred from the late 19th century to the early 20th century – had many people believe that after women achieved their goals of being granted the right to vote, as well as, seeing reforms in the workplace, health care system and even the education system, the push for gender equality was coming to an end (Rampton, Martha). However, that was
Because of strong-minded and persistent women like, Emma Willard and Mary Lyon – who primarily focused their attention and frustration on women's rights to education in the early 19th century in America – were able to establish higher-education institutions like, Mount Holyoke (1837) and the Troy Female Seminary (1872) for young females who wanted to expand their horizons (“Feminism and the Future”). Since then, a lot of reforms in the education system have been made to alleviate the inequality amongst men and women, including, the enactment of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. This act prohibits “discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity” (“Overview of Title IX”). In addition, Title IX applies “to any education or training program operated by a recipient of federal financial assistance” such as, colleges, universities, and elementary and secondary schools (“Overview of Title IX”). And while there have been major strides made towards achieving equality, many obstacles still lie ahead, and not only does it affect those in the United States, but also those in other countries. That is why feminists continue to fight for gender-eqaulity in education
But according to the World Economic Forum, research unveiled that the United States did not even hit the top 20 most gender-equal countries in 2016. In fact, the United States ranked in at number 45 (“Rankings”). Now, how does that compare to let us say, Yemen, which ranked in dead-last? Well, of course it is substantially better, however, feminism is not just about equality for women in one country, like the United States: it is about equality for all women, in all countries. A world without feminism would be one that lacks the freedom of choice. Feminists fight for the right to decide for themselves, which means no one can take away the right to take birth-control pills or to have an abortion; no one can take away the right to wear whatever you want, marry whoever you want, and be whoever you want to be. Many see feminism as a pedestal for women to vanquish men or to claim that men are worthless to society but that is utterly absurd and a wild misconception. Feminism is, in fact, a pillar to raise awareness and to educate those who are clueless or misinterpret the cause; to rise above the prejudices, and to disregard personal identities such as, race and gender. It gives everyone a fighting chance. And I think now, more than ever, people of all backgrounds, are uniting and mobilizing because equality affects